


Production of Life (English Version)

by LaraMoonWorld



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Actor Chris Evans, Actor Tom Hiddleston, Anxiety, Betrayal, Comedy, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction, Friends to Lovers, Friends to more, Harassment, Marvel Universe, ProdutionOfLife, Roommates, Sad, Tom Hiddleston Is A Sweetheart, Top Chris Evans, ex-boyfriend
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:46:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24460771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaraMoonWorld/pseuds/LaraMoonWorld
Summary: Two friends, one apartment, and tons of complicated situations. When Lara Lewis accepted an internship with her professor, she did not expect her life - and her best friend and roommate Anabela Beaufort's life - to change so much. Jobs, families, bills, relationships, references, and a lot of drama are just some of the things that await our protagonists in this production of life.
Relationships: Chris Evans (Actor)/Original Female Character(s), Tom Hiddleston/Loki/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 9





	1. Scene one, take one

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, Guys! Hope you enjoy!

The sun was rising in New York, lighting up little by little the already busy streets. Some people were waking up, ready for another chaotic day - characteristic of the place - while others were getting home, after an intense night of work or pleasure. Diversity is a good word to describe the capital of the world.

On a random street of Williamsburg, a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, Lara Lewis de Almeida heard her alarm clock ringing incessantly. The heat of the late summer came into her room, gently warming her up. She knew that it would be the perfect day to have a delicious breakfast at the bakery near her apartment, to stroll through the quiet street of her neighborhood, and to enjoy the end of another great summer. However, her responsibilities spoke louder.

Today was the first day of her last college period. The first day of an incredibly happy time, but also sad and nostalgic. Lara was thrilled about this end. She loved her friends, her professors, and her course; but she also could not stop counting the days for her actual entry into the adult world. She wished to start her career already, to travel the world, and to work for the most different people and companies.

"But to do that, I need to get out of bed..." she whispered to herself, struggling to open her eyes. Her bed wrapped her, begging for her to stay just a little bit longer, just enjoying the sunbeams. Her eyes started to feel heavy again. "Hmm, it won't hurt to sleep for another five minutes..."

However, even before she could give in to her desire, she heard a scream. Her eyes opened in a second as she jumped out of bed. What was that? Did she hurt herself? Lara ran to the living room, where she found her best friend, Anabela Beaufort, sitting on the couch, phone on her hand.

"Is everything okay?" Lara asked, nervously. "Why did you scream? Are you hurt?"

"Andy Samberg has just confirmed that the Lonely Island will release a new album next year!" exclaimed Beaufort, barely containing her excitement. She stared at Lara, who had a deadly look. "What's the matter? It's great news!"

"Anabela, it's 6 am, I have no idea who the hell Andy Samberg is, you screamed..." Lara said, trying to form a concrete sentence. "What I'm trying to say is... YOU SCARED ME!"

"Oh, you're so dramatic!" Anabela answered, giggling. "First of all, Andy Samberg is that dreamy guy from SNL," realizing Lara still had no idea what she was talking about, she continued. "The one with the big nose! Second," she resumed speaking when her friend seemed to remember about Samberg. "I feel that if I hadn't screamed, you would've fallen asleep again, and I would've to be the one to get you out of bed. Thus, be thankful I'm a drama queen!" Beaufort concluded, laughing at her friend who rolled her eyes.

"I'll forgive you if you make me one of those chocolate pancakes," Lara grunted while Anabela grinned harder. "Please, it's for good luck!"

Anabela got up of the couch, agreeing to cook, but insisting on hugging Lara before walking up to the stove. The latter tried to escape from the hug but gave up when the youngest threatened to cancel the pancakes. Their friendship had always been like that since they met when kids, still in Brazil. The relationship went through difficulties, as they always do - sometimes it was difficult to reconcile the somewhat opposite personalities of the girls. Lara was shy, introverted, liked to stay in her world, and found it hard to express her feelings. Anabela, on the other hand, was very easygoing, loved to talk, was spontaneous, and incredibly open about everything. A lot of times, she was too much for Lara to handle, who then needed a break. At the same time, the difficulty of overcoming Lara's barriers was exhausting for Beaufort, who got hurt by her friend. Nonetheless, in the end, they were always there for each other.

After getting ready, Lara came back to the living room, where Anabela awaited her with the pancakes. The smell of the food filled the apartment and her stomach reminded her of its existence. She quickly sat down at the table and began to eat.

"Wow, you have outdone yourself this time," said Lewis between mouthfuls.

"Yeah, I know I'm awesome," joked Bela, tossing her hair, and laughing. "Are you excited about your last first day at college?

"Yes," Lara answered while drinking the coffee. It did not taste as good as the pancakes since Anabela, who did not enjoy the drink, had never learned how to prepare it. Lewis wrote it down mentally to stop at a coffee shop before class. "But, honestly, I'm kind of nervous about the final project. I'm still not sure about what to do..."

"Well, I think if choose a good advisor, everything will be easier," Bela said, thoughtfully. "That was what helped me, at least..." the girl commented, with a smile of affirmation. Even though she was also in her last period, she had already started to develop her final project in the previous semester. The French and Linguistics course had different guidelines from the Design course.

"Yeah, I already have in mind a professor that..." Lara started to say before she was interrupted by Beaufort's phone.

"It's Hunter, I have to pick up." Lara rolled her eyes, not trying to disguise her disapproval. Hunter was Anabela's boyfriend. He was also a tremendous asshole. They had been together on and off since the girls started at university. For three years and a half, Lara had been putting up with that guy. Three years and a half that she spent nights comforting her friend, who was always hurt by the Australian's insensitive attitude. When Bela finally hung up, she said with her head down: "I have to hurry up, he's coming to get me. "

Lara nodded, observing Beaufort go to her room. She felt sorry for her friend. Sighed, clearing up the table. She glanced at the watch, realizing she still had half an hour before having to be at uni. Enough time for her to go to a coffee shop and have her blessed coffee. Lewis heard Anabela saying goodbye while she left in a hush.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about her right now." whispered, going towards her room.

She changed quickly, without forgetting to grab a coat. The summer was already saying goodbye, which meant late afternoons with mild temperatures. Lara grabbed everything she needed for her classes, placing them on her backpack. She then picked up her inseparable headphones and hurried out of the room. Her university was 15 minutes away from her apartment, so if she was going to drink her coffee, she needed to go. 

In the elevator, Lara picked up her phone, turning the songs on at shuffle. At that moment, she received a message from Anabela,

_"Don't forget your jacket. It will be cold later xxxx"_

She smiled.

The clock in the large auditorium read 7:30 am. Lara stared at the big blackboard, bored. She waited for her professor, who was 15 minutes late. The coffee in her hand had been cold for a while. It had not been enough, she thought, as she felt her eyelids close. Well, if Mr. Williams had not arrived by now, he might not be coming anymore. It would not be that bad to doze off, right? However, for the second time in the day, Lara's sleep was interrupted.

"Lara?" she heard a voice calling her. Her eyes, nonetheless, remained closed. "Lara? Are you okay?"

The woman opened her eyes, seeing a blond man staring at her. She snorted. Ryan Evans. Of all the people Lara would like to see that morning, Evans was the last of them. His blue eyes looked at her with uncomfortable intensity, making Lara annoyed.

"Evans," the blond the man gave a wicked smile when he heard his name pronounced by the brunette. "Why are you irritating me so early today?"

"Oh, honey, the last thing I want to do is to irritate you," he answered, without taking her eyes off her. "Even though you look really hot when you are mad," he completed, his smile larger than ever. Lara rolled her eyes, disgusted.

"Did your mother never teach you to have an ounce of decency, Evans?" she asked madly.

"I only came here to invite you to the party I'll throw in two weeks, honey," he said, putting all his charm in his voice and running his hand through his blond hair. "Don't you think the final semester deserves to start in a very special way?" he asked, his smile more wicked than ever. For the first time, Lara looked at him directly. "I would love to see you there, honey. Anabela is obviously also invited. After all, the more girls, the..."

Before Evans could finish his sentence, Mr. Williams entered the classroom in a hurry. He threw his things on the table, sighing heavily while analyzing the class. Then, he smiled openly. When his gaze rested on Lara, he received a distressed look in response. He saw Evans sitting on her table, and then he understood her silent request.

"Good morning, everyone!" he exclaimed. "Mr. Evans, if you could please stop pestering my student so I can start my class, I would be grateful," nervously, Ryan stood up. Mr. Williams, as young as he was, was one of the most respected and influential professors at Pratt Institute. Getting in trouble with him meant having problems in both academic and professional life. "After all, Miss Lewis is clearly not interested in you," he completed, giggling.

Ryan went back to his place, keeping his head low, as Lara smiled thankfully to the professor. When he realized he had the full attention of his class, he turned to the board, writing words on it that made Lara tremble. Final project. That was it, no more escape. The final semester had arrived, and, along with it, the project that had been hunting Lara's thoughts. For many, such project was just another step towards graduation. However, Lara knew that excelling at it - and doing so with the help of a great advisor - was the key to a successful career. A lot of people in her field whom she admired and who had also studied at the renowned Pratt Institute had reached their prestige thanks to this project - or, at least thanks to the contacts gained through it. Lara needed a good theme, and, maybe more than that, a good advisor. Yet, she had no idea where to begin. "Maybe paying attention to class may be a good idea," she thought.

"Well, going back to what I had said before I was interrupted..." the professor commented, looking briefly at Evans. "Good morning, class!" he exclaimed again. "I know that many here already know me, but I see some unknown faces, so I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jonathan Williams, better known as Mr. Williams. I'll be your Photography and Design III professor. I was also, unfortunately, may I add," he commented, making the class laugh." chosen to talk about the final project that all students must do to graduate. I say unfortunately because I know how nervous everyone is with this conversation," he explained, walking around the room a little. "Which is totally understandable."

Lara shifted a little in her chair. It was nice to know that she was not the only one to feel that way. Besides, Mr. Williams transmitted calm in her speech. She had met him two years earlier when he was a professor of another subject. The two developed a particularly good relationship in the meantime - he even invited her to be part of a scientific initiation team that he led. Lara was happy to learn that he would be her professor again in that last semester. As soon as he finished explaining more about the final project, the man immediately started the class.

The hours that passed seemed like minutes to Lewis, who was once again delighted by Mr. Williams's explanations. Her notebook was already overflowing with notes and drawings - the class had been extremely productive. She was excited. But, better than that, she felt inspired. Maybe that semester was not going to be that bad, maybe she really would have a good idea for her project. The professor, hearing his watch ring again, warning him that his class was over, sighed, dismissing the class. Lara arranged her things, wishing the next class were as good as this, or at least not so boring. When she started walking towards the door, she heard someone calling her.

"Mrs. Lewis," said Mr. Williams again, with a smile on his face. He had already sat in his chair, probably tired after class. "Could I have a word with you?"

"Of course, sir” Lara agreed, pulling a chair close his table.

"First, I want to say that it is very good to have you again in one of my classes," he said, smiling kindly. "I am always quite surprised by you. You are extremely dedicated and creative!"

“Thank you, Mr. Williams!” Lara replied, feeling proud. It was great to be recognized by someone she admired so much. "I must say that I am also incredibly happy to have a class with you again. You’re an inspiration!”

"Well, Lara, I didn’t call you here to boost my self-esteem," he added, laughing more. The formalities had finally been abandoned, she thought. "I know you, so I know you must be a little nervous about the final project," Lewis nodded, pressing his lips together. The motivation she had felt a few minutes before was gone, being replaced by her regular nervousness. "We have already worked together, and I really like our dynamics. I am working together with a colleague of mine. He was shooting a movie in Albuquerque, but he had to move the production here. He even tried to shoot at Ohio, but who likes that place?" he asked, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, not all his team could come here, so he needed new people. He then decided to call me to help him."

"Sir, with all due respect, where do I get into this?" Lara commented laughing, realizing that she would be late for the next class.

"Ah, you have another class, sorry!" Jonathan exclaimed. "Well, I need people to help me help him, and I thought of you. I think it would be excellent for our team. Besides, you would work with things that interest you and..." he continued, excited. When he realized that he was going to start talking a lot again, he interrupted himself. "Well, we can talk about that at another time. What matters is: it would count as your final project. And I would be your advisor."

"Wow, Jonathan..." Lara sighed, surprised, and delighted. "Really?"

"Of course, Lara," the professor replied, with a gentle smile. "I think it would be a very good opportunity for you, a chance to meet important people and to test how the real-world works," he completed before looking at his watch. "I know you have to go, but please consider my proposal. We can discuss the details later if you are interested!"

"Thank you, Jonathan," Lara stood up, incredibly happy. "I promise I'll think about it. Talk to you soon!"

Lara went to her next class with her head in the clouds. She knew the importance of Mr. Williams in their field, so she felt that this opportunity would be too good for her future. Besides, she would still be solving her problem with the final project and would have a great coordinator. She excused herself and entered the room, sitting down quickly. She opened his notebook, staring at the woman who was talking about something that didn't seem the least bit interesting in the face of the great news she had received. Without thinking twice, she pulled out her phone, quickly writing an email.

_Professor Williams,_

_I accept your proposal! When can we meet to discuss more?_

_Sincerely yours,_

_Lara Lewis._

Little did Lara know that sending that email would change her life forever.


	2. The Big News

When Lara opened the door to her apartment at 6:30 pm, she was surprised by the smell of food that filled her home. She looked around, seeing Anabela in the kitchen with the light blue cabinets. The girl was in front of the stove, her hair in a ponytail as she danced to Axl Rose's hoarse voice. On the white marble island that separated the kitchen space from the rest of the room, she saw a jug of flowers, plates and some pots. The TV in the living room, which could be seen due to the open plan concept of the apartment, showed the Guns n 'Roses concert where Rose's voice came from.

"Hi!" Shouted Lara, calling attention to her presence. Anabela turned to her friend, smiling broadly. "You are excited today, huh?"

"It's not my fault if the housewife's spirit got hold of me today," Beaufort replied, shrugging. "I'm almost done here, go wash your hands because I want to eat!'

Lara smiled, going to her room. She threw her backpack in a corner. The sneakers had already been left near the apartment's front door. Anabela was against wearing shoes at home so they couldn't go past the area close to the door. She went to the bathroom of her suite, washing her face. She still couldn't believe the events of the day. She wanted to shout out to the world the big news. She also wanted to tell Anabela, as the girl would be extremely happy. After all, she spent the whole summer trying to calm Lewis, who even on vacation couldn't get her head off the final project. Excited, she returned to the kitchen, where she found Anabela placing the last pot on the kitchen island. The TV already paused, showed the image of an Axl Rose in his underwear singing next to a sweaty, shirtless Slash.

"I don't know any housewife who knows by heart even the groans of Guns' songs," Lara resumed the comment made by her friend as soon as she arrived, laughing at the face Beaufort made.

"I am not to blame if not all housewives are fucking awesome like me," replied Bela, making a strange pose to show how "fucking awesome" she was. "Now sit down, help yourself, and tell me what happened!"

"Wait ..." Lewis said, filling her plate with the pasta and meatballs her friend had made. She looked at her without understanding the reason for the request. "How do you know that something has happened?"

"I wanted to say that I know you well enough, and you gave several signs, but..." replied Bela while serving himself. "Hunter said that Ryan said that Mr. Williams asked to talk to you at the end of class."

Lara sighed. Obviously the Australian had something to do with it. Ryan Evans, that plague that she had to endure since entering college, was Hunter's best friend, Anabela's boyfriend. Not that they both liked the blonde, but Anabela put up with him for the love of her boyfriend, while Lara did the same for the love of Beaufort. She was surprised to learn that Evans was talking about her to Hunter. She thought that his cheap pick-up lines were nothing more than a hobby for man.

"There's no point in being surprised that Evans talks about you, Lara," said Anabela after finishing chewing. It seemed like the young woman had read her mind. "He's an asshole, but I think deep down he might like you." she continued, throwing more cheese on her plate. "Not that I would approve it, anyway."

"Why do you think something happened just because Mr. Williams asked to talk to me?" Lara replied, hiding a smile. She decided to leave Ryan and Hunter behind, as not even they could ruin her day.

"Because that man looks like a greek god, and just exchanging mere words with him is a big enough event," Bela said as if she were talking about the weather. Lara choked. The friends definetly didn't share the same taste in men. "Oh, c'mon, stop being weird!

"It's weird that you find Jonathan attractive!" Lara commented, laughing. Her friend smirked.

" _Jonathan_ is more than attractive, he is extremely hot," Beaufort replied, sighing. "I love that James McAvoy vibe in X-Men: First Class that he has," she continued. "Obviously, before he went bald. _Jonathan_ ," she repeated, more maliciously than the first time, "should insure that wonderful hair he has."

"Anabela, for the love of God, shut up!" Lara exclaimed embarrassed, while her friend laughed. "Spare me your fantasies with my teacher!" Bela raised her arms with a guilty smile as if she was surrendering. "Well, I think you'll be happy to know then that you'll hear more about Jonathan from now on."

"DID HE ASK YOU OUT? ARE YOU GOING TO DATE?" Anabela shouted, excited.

"Anabela, he's my professor! Disgusting!" Lara complained. "Besides, it would be totally prohibited by the university."

"Have you never heard that forbidden is better? You are both of legal age, and you can change professors if the problem is a possible conflict of interest." Lewis heard the youngest reply, who laughed even more. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay. Why will I hear more about Jonathan from now on?"

"Simply because he will be the coordinator of my incredible final project!" Lara replied, seeing her friend look surprised and excited at her. "He asked to talk to me today because he wanted to offer me a place in a team that he will coordinate."

"I cannot believe it!" Beaufort exclaimed. "And did you accept? How is it going to be? What are you going to have to do?" she asked, without breathing.

"Okay, let's go by parts, shall we?" Lara asked, watching her friend nod while eating the rest of her pasta like someone eats popcorn watching a movie. "A friend of his, John... Josh... Joss..." sighed, realizing that her friend did not care about the friend's name, which was good because she couldn't remember his name anyway. "Well, his friend is directing a movie. They recorded it in Albuquerque, then Ohio, and now here in New York. These changes made them lose part of the team that worked with design and photography."

"I imagine that this is where Professor X and you enter," Anabela remarked as she started to clear the table with my help. Lara hadn't realized that the two of us had just finished eating.

"Exactly!" Lara exclaimed while putting the pots in the refrigerator. When she went to the sink to wash the dishes, Bela shook her head. She held a plate with her wonderful brownies. They sat on the sofa in the living room, facing each other, to talk more and enjoy that marvelous desert. "Well, Jonathan invited me to help him because he likes my job a lot and thinks it would be a good professional opportunity. Also, it will still serve as a final project, and I will be able to graduate."

"And you will graduate doing the two things you love: photography and design!" asserted Anabela, her mouth still a little full of brownie.

"Exactly!" Lara agreed, excited. "Jonathan said it is a career a bit complicated to start in, so this opportunity will help me to test if this area of movies is something that really interests me.

"But what exactly are you going to do?" Bela asked, placing the plate with the dessert on the coffee table, and making herself more comfortable on the sofa.

"I'm not sure yet," Lewis sighed, taking the blanket that was strategically positioned near the sofa, and covering the two. She turned the Netflix on, handing over the control to Anabela so that she could choose something for the two of them to watch. "I know I'll be Jonathan's assistant in the beginning until I get used to things work. Everyone on the team has already graduated and has a lot of experience, I'm the only one who hasn't finished the course yet. After I get used to everything, he’ll give me some tasks, and then I’ll find out exactly what my duties will be."

"How much will you earn?" questioned Bela, who was still looking for something to watch in the huge streaming catalog.

"Fuck off, Anabela!" Lewis exclaimed, a little irritated. She then pulled the cover closer to her, as if trying to punish her friend for the indiscreet question.

"Oh, don't even start, it's a valid question!" Bela replied, finally choosing Supernatural for them to watch.

"I know. I'm just angry because I forgot to ask, and you reminded me of that!" Lara confessed. Anabela cackled while starting the TV Show.

It was already 10:30 pm when they decided to stop watching TV. Anabela put the brownies away in the kitchen, making Lara promise that she would do the dishes the next day, before leaving for college. Tuesdays were the day when Lara had fewer classes, which started later, and Anabela spent the day at the school where she was doing an internship. As she was busy all day, Lara was then responsible for household chores. The girls' apartment was relatively large, especially considering the city where it was located. Each one had its own bedroom, that were in opposite corners, guaranteeing greater privacy for each one. This fact was something that weighed heavily in the choice of the apartment.

Rent was not one of the cheapest, but money was never exactly a problem for either. Lara was the daughter of a famous Brazilian journalist and a renowned American photographer who met on one of the man's work trip. They lived for a while in Florida, where they had Lydia, Lara's older sister, and herself, before moving to Brazil. Anabela was the daughter of one of the most influential French chefs, Nicole Beaufort, and a Brazilian businessman, Antônio Mendes. With the death of her mother as a child, Beaufort moved to Brazil, where she finally met Lara.

Both from wealthy families, they had always tried to seek financial independence and cultivate humility. However, when the SAT time came, they decided to apply to numerous universities around the world. The responses were, in general, positive. Seeing the acceptances as a chance to make their dreams come true, they accepted places at two prestigious universities in New York. Anabela joined NYU to study French and Linguistics, a course she thought was the perfect combination of her interest in teaching, changing the world, and honoring her late mother. Lara started the Graphic Design course at the Institute Pratt. With a strong artistic streak, the oldest has always been interested in drawings, arts, and animations. With this course, she could work with photography, which had been her hobby since she was a child. Also, she would be able to work with illustrations and graphic design, which she had been enchanted in her adolescence.

They finally moved to the city where dreams are made of a month before the beginning of the classes. It took some time for them to reach a consensus on where to live. In addition to the immense difficulties of finding a minimally decent apartment in New York, there was also the fact that each girl had totally different tastes. Lara liked the most modern and clean apartments, while Anabela fell in love with every brick wall they encountered. Eventually, they found great options in the neighborhood where they live, Williamsburg. Beaufort immediately fell in love with the neighborhood thanks to the alternative establishments, the numerous street markets, and the calmer climate. Lewis, on the other hand, when discovering the multitude of galleries and creative studios there, decided that this was where the two needed to live.

After some searching, they found the ideal apartment for both. Living room and kitchen with an open concept, modern, but with alternative touches - like the blue cabinets - that pleased Anabela so much. Two spacious bedrooms, in which the girls could work and relax. Large windows. That place was perfect.

That was exactly what the nostalgic Lara thought. Lying in her bed, she relived all the events of her life that had led her to that moment. It seemed like an eternity had passed since she left Brazil, with two suitcases in her hand and Bela by her side. But no, it had only been four years. Four years that had changed everything. And there she was, in her New York apartment, almost completing her dream course. She wanted to call her family, tell them the news, and make them proud. But she knew that if it already were too late for her, in Brazil, it would be even later.

Then she started to imagine what the project would be like, how the people would be. Could this really be her golden opportunity? Was she really ready? Thousands of questions began to cross her mind, further stopping her sleep. However, before she fell into that endless black hole, she heard someone knock on her door.

When she opened it, she first saw Pandora, Anabela's white and brown Cavalier Charles Spaniel puppy, enter. Then, like a hurricane, her friend came. She had her computer in her hand, in which you could see several tabs open. The girl sat on Lara's bed, looking at her with a serious face.

"Girl, it's 11 pm, what are you doing here?" Lara asked, laughing at her friend.

"Lara, you will be part of the production of a movie! You will meet important people! This could be your career opportunity!" Anabela exclaimed in a slightly nervous voice. Lara nodded. "DO YOU EVEN HAVE CLOTHES FOR THAT, BITCH?"

Lewis laughed at her friend, who sat by her side, beginning a speech about how they needed to shop urgently. Just like this, she felt all that nervousness go away. She had no idea how much that project would change your life, but she knew that regardless of what happened, Anabela would be there to help her. She smiled, turning her attention back to her friend, who kept talking about pants, blouses, and shoes. It was going to be a long night. But Lara was happy.


	3. Start of Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys!  
> Sooo...sorry for the delay but here we are, hope you all enjoy.  
> Please leave a comment, so we can know what you guys are thinking of the story so far.  
> It would really help us.

Lara stamped her feet nervously on the floor as she sipped her coffee, made by herself this time while sitting at the living room table. A week had passed since Mr. Williams' invitation, and today was finally her first day on the team. She would work on the set only three afternoons a week, thus being able to maintain her regular study routine. This Monday, however, as it was her first day, she would spend the whole day there, meeting people, becoming familiar with the team, and learning more about the dynamics.

"I swear by Zeus that if you break my chair, I will kick you out of this apartment," complained Anabela, calling her attention. Lara was so restless because she was nervous that even the chair was shaking. Bela threatened her with the eyes while drinking her pink smoothie. "You know that chair was a find!"

"You bought it at a thrift store, Anabela," Lara replied, rolling her eyes. She felt her cat, Midnight, moving between her feet and purring, so she smiled gently. 

"Exactly!" She exclaimed. "Besides being sustainable, it was cheap. And it also matches the other chairs!" Lara held her laughter, observing the chairs that her friend pointed at. Each was different from the others, just like in Friends, her best friend's favorite show.

"I don't know where I was with my head when I left you in charge of decorating ..." Lewis sighed, pretending to be angry. She knew how her friend was offended when her taste for decoration was doubted. "You watch too much TV!"

"Hold on, you already made me give up the purple walls because you wanted the color in your room," replied Bela, bothered as predicted. " _ You are not Monica or Rachel, Anabela, choose another color! _ " She said, imitating her friend's voice. That phrase had been repeated by Lara countless times four years ago, in an attempt not to live on an exact copy of the set of Friends.

"This light green looks way better. It even matches the millions of wooden furniture you chose. And with your numerous plants too!" Lara said, laughing. Her friend really loved plants: she had one in each corner of the apartment.

"Blah blah blah," grunted Anabela. "I don't remember complaining about any of this when you saw the apartment ready for the first time," she exclaimed, getting up towards the kitchen. "Wow, you outdid yourself!." "Wow, it looks really cool." "Wow, is this a new PlayStation??" Lara laughed, reminiscing those moments. The PlayStation really impressed her. Anabela had not bought anything for her birthday and, months later, surprised her with the new video game, already installed in the apartment. It was, according to Bela, a way to celebrate another year in the life of her beautiful and elderly friend. 

"Ok, ok, I'll stop," Lara sighed, putting her dishes in the machine. "I'm nervous..." commented a little quietly.

Anabela stopped tidying up the kitchen, staring at her friend. Without thinking, she entwined her tightly in her arms. Lara laughed, a little surprised by the sudden hug. Beaufort had this habit of being very affectionate and expressing herself through physical contact, which took Lewis a long time to get used to. However, at times like this, she was grateful for her friend's habit.

"Honey, I'm sure you will do well," Anabela said calmly, still hugging Lara. "First, because you are fucking awesome. Secondly, because Mr. Williams wouldn't have personally invited you to be part of the project if you weren't fucking right for the job!" She completed, making Lara laugh. The friends separated and went back to doing their household chores. "Look, I can't take you to the set today, no matter how incredible it would be for you to arrive there with my electric bike," she continued, "but, I can pick you up, and we'll go to Lombardi's to celebrate your first day, what do you think?"

"Ok, that idea is excellent!" Lara exclaimed, already thinking about the delicious pizza she would eat later. "I need to distract myself before leaving... Do you still have a little time before uni?" Anabela nodded in agreement. "Great, so help me choose an outfit, pretty please."

At 8 am, Lara was already on the outskirts of Bethesda Terrace in Central Park. Even though she had arrived 15 minutes before the time set by Jonathan, it was already possible to observe many employees with identifications similar to the one she was wearing around her neck. She tucked her black shirt into her black pants, making sure that the denim jacket that Anabela insisted she bring was fastened at her waist. Because it was too early, the weather was mild, but Lewis's nervousness made her feel very hot. Realizing that she was standing like a tourist watching everyone work, she decided to approach.

"Excuse me, miss," she heard a deep voice coming from behind her, making her stop. "This location will be used as a film set today, so only people from the team can cross that barrier."

"Ah, sorry!" Exclaimed Lara, even more nervous. She pulled her identification out of her shirt, showing it to the bouncer, who quickly read it. "I'm part of the team, but it's my first day, and I'm a little lost."

"It's all right!" Said the man with a gentle smile on his face. Some lines of expression appeared around his eyes with the act, indicating that he must have been in his 30s. "Are you by any chance part of the new team that starts today?"

"Well, if it is the design and photography team led by Mr. Williams, I do!" Lewis replied, seeing the man search a clipboard for the name.

"Yes, it is this team," he confirmed, laughing weakly. "I don't think anyone has arrived so far, but you can wait there," he indicated with his head a bench near where they were. "As soon as someone arrives, I will let them know that you are there!"

"Ah, thank you so much..." Lewis exclaimed, not knowing how to refer to the security guard.

"My name is Charles, miss," he completed with a smile.

"Thank you so much, Charles!" Lara repeated, smiling back. A little bit of her nervousness was gone. "To be honest, I was afraid of not being welcomed, but you helped me a lot..."

"Is this your first time working on something like this?" Charles asked. He could see that the young woman was nervous, which reminded him of his first job in the field. At that time, the man wished someone had been welcoming and stopped to explain a little about the dynamics of a film set, but no one ever did. He had to make it on his own. So he decided to be that person for the woman in front of him.

"Yes..." Lara sighed. "Is it that obvious?" The security guard nodded, giggling a little. "I'm still in college, and my professor invited me to be part of this project. It's my chance to see if I'm really good at it and if I really like this career." She explained while the man paid close attention. "Honestly, I have many fears: what if that is not what I want? What am I going to do with my life? And all the time and money I spent?"

"I really understand you," Charles nodded. "This is not my dream profession. I'm an actor, you know? But this is the closest I've ever come to a major production." He sighed. Lara was surprised by the term "big _ "  _ close to production. However, she let it slide, focusing again on the man in front of her. "I think if you are here, it is because you have potential. You wouldn't be hired for nothing!"

"My friend said exactly the same thing today..." Lara sighed, smiling politely. "Sorry to repeat, but thank you so much, Charles. Seriously, this chat is calming me down."

"I can assure you that most people here are very nice, miss," Charles replied, happy to have helped the young girl, "and well ... You have already made a friend here!" He smiled.

"But you don't even know my name!" She exclaimed, narrowing her eyes. "My name is Lara Lewis, nice to meet you!" She held out her hand, waiting for the man to greet her. "Well, Charles, I'm going to sit there, thank you again!" she waved. The man nodded, turning his attention to the approaching people.

Lara barely sat on the bench when she heard her name being called. She looked around, finding Mr. Williams smiling. He was accompanied by a woman and a man. They came towards her quickly, after walking through Charles, who encouraged her with a thumbs up. She was happy to know that he had already made a friend there.

"Miss Lewis, I'm happy you are here already!" Exclaimed Mr. Williams when he came close to her. "This lady beside me is Cassandra Stuart," he showed the blonde woman who accompanied him with the head, "and this is Matthew York," he pointed to the young man. "They are part of our team. Guys, this is Lara Lewis, our new intern!"

Lara greeted them both with a smile on her face. They both seemed to be very friendly, which made her relax a little. According to Mr. Williams, the team still had more people, but as the scene to be recorded on the day was not overly complicated, only the 4 would be present. The professor guided them through the other teams, introducing them to everyone, and informing their role whenever he could.

After the initial introduction, he took them to a building that consisted of an adapted container. He explained that wherever there were recording, that same container would be present. It would be the team's workroom. There, they would find computers, cameras, among many other things they might need to do a job well done. He distributed papers with information so that everyone could use the devices, asking Cassandra and Matthew to settle down, and already start their daily tasks. Realizing that they were both busy, Mr. Williams invited Lara to sit next to him on the small sofa in the living room.

"So, Lara? What are you thinking? He asked, concerned.

"Ah, Jonathan, this experience is incredible!" Lewis exclaimed, barely containing her happiness. She was extremely excited about the project and had not even done anything important yet. "I am very grateful for your invitation."

"How nice!" The teacher sighed with relief. "I know that beginnings can be a little scary, but I'm glad you like it. Don't forget that Cassandra and Matthew are great, so don't be ashamed to approach them, please." He commented, making Lara nod. "Well, as we agreed, because you are the least experienced, you will work with a little bit of everything. Light, camera regulation, scene positioning, framing ... a cup of coffee now and then," he confessed, making them both laugh, "so you can learn a little of everything. Is that ok?" Lara shook her head, agreeing. "Great, so let's start!"

The man hurriedly left the container with Lara within reach and began to list everything he needed the woman to do today. She wrote everything down as fast as she could. Her first task would be, ironically, to go to the nearest coffee shop and buy coffees for her team. Mr. Williams started to speak, further explaining the dynamics of a set and reinforcing his recommendations. However, he was interrupted by a man with thinning hair and a red beard.

"Joss! You have arrived!" Jonathan shouted, hugging the man. "Ah, man, how long." They hugged again, while Lara watched the scene a little far away in order not to disturb her professor.

"I can't believe I was the only one who kept the beer belly, Williams!" exclaimed the man, laughing. "I also do not believe that I am the only one who went bald." He commented, referring to Jonathan's hair, which went up to his chin.

"I've always been the most handsome, Whedon, I don't know why you're so upset," said Jonathan, without taking the smile off his face. When he remembered Lara, he invited the student to come closer. "Joss, this is my student and newest intern, Lara Lewis," he then introduced them. "Lara, this is Joss Whedon, the director of the film!"

Lara smiled again, her cheeks already aching from the gesture of sympathy. She watched them engage in another lively conversation, and when she realized she was no longer part of it, Lara signaled to her professor that she would begin her day's tasks. She then walked to the nearest cafe, making sure she had written down everything she needed to order. While waiting, the woman pulled out her cell phone, sending a message to Anabela.

_ The day is going well, I am already in line at the cafe being the intern of the year. Ah, I finally found out the director's name. It's a Joss Whedon! Xxx _

She knew that her friend would not respond anytime soon as she was in class, but Anabela herself had asked - and by that she meant required - for updates during the day. In a few minutes, Lara heard her name being shouted. She put her phone away, trying to balance the coffees and sweets that had been required. The first task of the day was completed! Perhaps this project would not be so hard, after all, she thought.

It was already 3:30 pm when Lara finally had her first real break. At some point between all the tasks, which at first didn't seem like many, but in reality, were too many, she had 15 minutes to swallow some cookies while listening to Jonathan apologize countless times for the team not having more people. Though it was the first day of recording in New York - and the first few days were always more confusing - Lara could not understand how a project she thought was small demanded as much as it was demanding. Leaning on the parapet at Bethesda Terrace, where she could see beautiful portions of Central Park, she also did not understand how a project of this size had obtained a license and money to record there. Her dubious thoughts about the film were interrupted by her phone, which vibrated non-stop, flashing a photo of Anabela making a silly face. She barely had time to say hi, as Beaufort was already screaming when she answered the call.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THE DIRECTOR OF YOUR  _ INDIE, ALTERNATIVE, NOTHING TOO LARGE _ FILM IS JOSS WHEDON?" Shouted Anabela, speaking so fast that the words hardly made sense.

"Ok, what am I missing here?" Lara asked, already infuriated. "I am in the middle of Central Park, after having used countless expensive equipment, and you are shouting the director's name as if I should know him." she completed, moving in circles as she was a little uncomfortable.

"Well, maybe you should know the guy who created Buffy, the Vampire Slayer!" Replied Anabela, making Lara vaguely remember the tv show that her friend had recommended years ago. "But maybe you should know him because at the moment he is in New York, shooting the new MARVEL movie." She continued, emphasizing the company's name.

"Marvel?" Lara asked, more confused than ever. "That publisher of superhero comic books?"

"Yes, Lara, that publisher of superhero comic books." Bela snorted, outraged at her friend's ignorance. "Remember the Iron Man movie? The Hulk movie?"

"Fuck ..." sighed Lara, finally understanding the magnitude of the project she was working on. It was a real production. It was a very real production. Her stomach complained, warning her that the nervousness had returned. How did Jonathan think she was good enough? She observed her surroundings, resting her gaze on a rack of costumes. "Bela, by any chance in the film Whedon is directing, do people wear some kind of strange clothes?"

"Holy shit, Lara," Beaufort exclaimed incredulously. "Are you asking me if in the Avengers movie, full of superheroes, if people are going to wear costumes?" She asked, confirming her theory that the friend really did not know what she had gotten herself into. "Yes, Lara. I'm pretty sure that Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, among millions of others, will wear costumes." At that moment, Lara saw her boss calling her, indicating that the recordings would start soon and that her help would be needed again.

"Look..." She started, hearing her voice waver. "I need to go."

"Wait!" She heard her friend scream, "I heard that the dreamy Mark Ruffalo will be in this movie. Can you confirm this for me, please?" Lewis grunted a yes, and her friend laughed. "Lara, calm down. You wouldn't be there if you weren't good enough. I'll meet you there for pizza later. Good luck!" and hung up.

Lara put the phone away, shaking. She walked over to Jonathan and listened to his orders. However, she couldn't pay attention to him. All the lack of confidence in her overwhelmed her. She didn't want to be there anymore because she didn't think she should be there. The woman opened her mouth to report this to Jonathan, but she didn't have time. He was already pushing her toward a new trailer.

"I know you've done more than enough today, Lara," he said when they both entered the container. It looked more spacious than the container that belonged to their team. There were a few sofas, mirrors, and numerous clothes racks. "But Kelly really needed help today, her assistant is sick." He pointed to the lady who was doing a redhead woman's makeup. "You just need to help the actors with the clothes, Kelly does the makeup. All right?"

Before Lara could agree, Mr. Williams hurried out of the trailer, leaving her alone and lost. The ladies greeted her, and Kelly explained what she needed, basically repeating her professor's words. Lewis sat on a couch, watching the women, who tried to make conversation with her. However, before she could answer any of the many questions they asked, a voice interrupted her.

"Excuse me, girls," said the man who had just entered, politely. He had black medium hair. He exchanged a few words with the red-haired woman and Kelly, who asked him to speak to Lara. "Hello, how are you? You are new, right?" He extended his hand to Lewis, greeting her. "I'm Tom, and I play Loki," smiled. His teeth were perfectly aligned. "Can you help me with the costume, please?"


	4. Start of Something New (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!  
> So... the postuguese vesion was updated a while a go and we had a little delay on the updating of this version, but here it is, Chapter 4!   
> This is the part 2 of last chapter  
> Let's see how Lara firts meeting with Tom went...

When Lara woke up, the first thing that came to her mind was that she didn't remember going to sleep. Even so, her eyes opened slowly, the same feeling as waking up from a nap in the middle of a cold afternoon. When she looked around, she saw three people staring at her. With a little effort, she sat down, recognizing people like Kelly, the red-haired woman who was in the make-up chair, and Tom.

"Are you alright?" Asked the man, his voice overflowing with concern. He approached Lara, who was sitting on the sofa.

"I'm sorry, but ..." murmured Lara, a little confused. Her vision was still getting used to the bright light of what she identified as the makeup and costume trailer. "What happened?"

"You passed out, dear," sighed Kelly, handing her a glass of water and indicating to drink. "I had already thought you were quite pale when you arrived here, but when Tom approached, you just fell. Luckily, he was able to hold you. Otherwise, you would have hit the ground, for sure."

Lara looked down, overflowing with shame. This was definitely not how she expected her first day at a dream job to happen. The woman drank the water, realizing that she had gone all day without drinking it, even though it was quite hot. Facing the man, Lara thanked him with a shy smile.

"Did you eat anything today?" Asked the red-haired woman, also concerned. Lara really should learn the names of the people who worked there.

"I had breakfast and had some cookies during the day ..." she confessed, shifting uncomfortably on the sofa. "But, you know, the day was intense. There was no time for lunch."

"I told Jonathan to request more people even though it's a small scene, but when does he ever hear me?" Complained Kelly, standing up. She walked over to her bag, from where she pulled out a small cheese and ham sandwich. She handed it to Lara. "Now, eat this and drink more water. After it, you're dismissed for today, okay? Go home and rest!" She turned to the redhead, continuing to speak. "Scarlett, we need to finish your makeup so you can change as soon as possible, as I don't have much patience for Whedon." While the woman went back to the chair, Kelly turned to Tom. "Tom, I'll help you in a second. Just wait over there, will you?"

"Kelly," Lara said, as soon as she finished chewing a piece of the sandwich. Her stomach was jumping with happiness. The brunette looked at her, nervous that Lara was going to be sick again. "I'm already feeling better, so you can let me help him." Before anyone in the room could protest, she continued. "My friend is coming to pick me up, and she won't be here until later. I'd rather be productive than being bored in Central Park, okay?"

Everyone in the room agreed. Kelly turned to Scarlett, continuing the conversation they were probably having before Lara arrived. She turned to the man, trying to remember if he had said his last name so she could look for his outfit. Facing him quickly, Lara forced her brain to try to remember his face or name, but nothing came to mind. Lara laughed in her head when she remembered that Anabela would probably be able to provide at least some pieces of information about the actor.

"Hmm..." she started, running her hand over the costumes. "What's your last name, Tom?"

"Hiddleston, miss," the man replied, carefully watching her. "Are you sure you're okay? I really don't mind dressing up alone."

"I'm fine, Mr. Hiddleston, you don't have to worry," replied Lara, finding different outfits under his name. She glanced at her notes, trying to figure out which scene would be shot that day. After doing so, the woman started to look for the right clothes. “So, are you Loki?” She asked, hoping that she got the name right.

"You really don't have to call me sir," he stated, laughing as Lara removed the correct one from the clothing rack. "I'm not that much older than you, am I?"

"I honestly have no idea," she giggled, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, but until a few minutes ago, I didn't even know what movie I was working on." She explained, handing him the clothes. "But I'm 22. Are you that much older than me?"

"I don't think that nine years of difference is enough for you to call me sir, Lara," he replied humorously, going behind a curtain to change. Lara found the way her name was pronounced with a British accent amusing. "How come you didn't know what movie you were working on?"

"Ah!" Exclaimed Lara, making a funny face. She laughed weakly. "Well, I'm here as an intern for my professor. I will graduate at the end of the year, and this job is my final project. " She explained, being encouraged by the man to continue talking. Lara was glad the actor was being so nice. "To be honest, he didn't really explain how big this project was. It looked more like an alternative film than anything else," she said. "Today I found out who the director was, but I didn't even make the connection at the time. My friend was the one who frantically called me saying that I was working on a Marvel movie." The woman laughed, watching the man leave behind the screen, already dressed. "She is kind of addicted to these pop movies."

"But how do you want to work with cinema without knowing pop films?" Tom questioned, looking at himself in the mirror. He was then able to notice the strange look on the woman's face. "Oh my god, sorry, I didn't mean to be rude!"

"No, that's fine!" Replied Lara, finishing closing the back of his clothes. "It's a valid question!" She reinforced seeing that the man still had an expression of guilt. "To be honest, my focus is really design. I am very interested in photography, but not exactly in film photography. But I assure you, I know the names of cinematographers better than normal directors!" She joked.

Tom smiled, taking the outfit cape that Lara offered him. He put it on, looking again in the mirror. To be fair, Tom had not yet gotten used to the costume. It was not that he did not like it. What was hard to get used to was what it represented: a job he never believed would be his. Tom beamed at the woman, getting a friendly smile back.

"Tom, dear, can you sit here in this chair?" They heard Kelly's voice calling the actor. Scarlett was ready, just waiting to put on her clothes. "Lara, if you don't mind, can you help Scarlett get dressed now? I swear it's the last thing I ask of you!"

The young woman nodded. When Scarlett approached her, she asked for her surname and started looking for the outfit. This one was much simpler than Tom's, consisting of black pants, a black shirt, and Chelsea boots. The redhead came out from behind the curtain, wondering if it was okay. Lara observed her, remembering the words Anabela had said earlier.

"You look great!" She said kindly to the actress. "But don't you think you'll be cold in that outfit? The temperature is dropping."

"You're right," Scarlett replied, looking at Kelly as if asking permission to change her costume. The brunette nodded, turning her attention to Tom's hair. "Any suggestions?"

The two began to look for a jacket by the many racks. Lara knew who the Black Widow, Scarlett's character, was, thus she started looking for something that would be suitable for the character. She found a black leather jacket and a mustard one, showing them to Scarlett, who them, trying on both.

"Honestly," began Lara, studying the woman who was adjusting herself in front of the mirror, "I know the leather one would be the obvious choice, but the mustard matches your hair a lot." She continued as watching Scarlett nodded. "Besides, I think Tom is already wearing enough leather for a scene!" Lara noted, making everyone in the room laugh.

After the stunning woman was properly dressed, Kelly, still worried, reinforced that Lara could go. Feeling tiredness again occupying every part of her body, she nodded, saying goodbye to everyone in that room. The young woman started to look for Jonathan to inform him that she had already completed her last task. Lara barely had time, however, to go to their trailer since someone shouted for her halfway. She spotted the man Jonathan had introduced earlier greeting her.

"Hello, hello, hello!" He said excitedly. "It's Matthew, just in case you've already forgotten my name." the man completed, with a playful tone, that Lara, despite years of training with Anabela, did not notice.

"Oh, I don't ..." Lara stammered, extremely embarrassed as she, in fact, no longer remembered the name of her co-worker.

"Oh, honey, I'm kidding!" He exclaimed, surprised. "Sorry, I forget that people don't always understand my sense of humor," Matthew commented, a little shy, which made the young woman feel bad for not having understood.

"No, please, I'm sorry." Lara recanted, with a little desperation in her voice. "My best friend is just like you, I'm more than used to it." She smiled weakly when she saw that Matthew seemed more relaxed. "I'm just so tired that I'm not even thinking anymore..."

"Yeah...," the man murmured. "I heard that you passed out earlier today...", he remarked quietly. When he saw the grimace that Lara made, he tried to explain himself. "Don't worry, I only found out because Kelly sent a very angry voice memo to Jonathan complaining that he was making you work harder than he should have, even more so on your first day."

"Ah ..." Lara sighed, her nervousness returning. Did Matthew think she was not good enough for the job? "I didn't eat enough today; it must have been just low blood pressure."

"Hey, do not worry!" Matthew exclaimed. The last thing he wanted to do was sound like he was judging the girl. Jonathan had really underestimated the amount of work they needed to do. He knew that for Lara, being the newest member of the group, the load, apart from the pressure, must have been much bigger. "Seriously, we were worried to know that you were sick," he said, lightly touching the young woman's arm as an act of comfort. "We already had a fight with Jonathan, don't worry!" He completed, drawing a polite smile from Lewis. "Anyway, I came to invite you to watch the recording of the scene. Shall we?"

Lara nodded, following Matthew, who was talking about something. She noticed that the man was very lively and friendly, which made her smile. She was terrified that her co-workers would be a little snobbish as she was still in college, even if she was about to graduate. He was proving to be the exact opposite of her fears. They sat on stools from which they could see the terrace and Central Park. Countless cameras pointed at the view, and numerous people worked nonstop like bees, preparing to record the scene.

"Wow, how weird, Cassandra was supposed to be here already," Matthew commented, making Lara look around. "Well, who cares, let's enjoy the view!"

As soon as the man said this, some familiar faces positioned themselves on the terrace. Along came the director and other members of the team. Lara saw Scarlett, who was wearing the jacket chosen earlier, and Tom, who quickly waved at her when their eyes met. Analyzing the group more, the woman saw someone who would make Anabela freak out: Mark Ruffalo.

"Wow, Mark Ruffalo is really in the movie!" Lara exclaimed, with an immense desire to call Bela. Matthew looked at her curiously, opening his mouth to make a remark, but he was interrupted by Jonathan, who had come close a little breathlessly to where they were.

"Ah, good thing they haven't started recording yet," the professor said, breathing quickly and sitting in one of the chairs still available. Lara and Matthew stared at him, wondering why he was late. "I got stuck doing some things..."

"We told you that we had too much work today," the younger man commented, sarcasm in his voice. "Not even the boss managed to get away after all ..."

"Yeah, but he still runs things," an authoritative voice said from behind the group. Cassandra had arrived with a hard expression on her face. "So, if I were you, York, I would watch my mouth better."

She sat next to Lara, greeting her with a wave. Matthew rolled his eyes, ready to clap back, but he was interrupted by Whedon, who began to shout instructions. The actors were positioned. Behind the camera, everyone was running to their seats. When everyone was in position, the clapperboard sound was heard, and the recordings for the day began.

It was after 6pm when the last scene was shot. There were still some things left, but the clarity was already starting to go away, interrupting production. Lara checked her phone, reading a message from Anabela, who had let her know that she would soon leave work. She gathered up her things, stretching quickly. Matthew, Cassandra, and Jonathan were talking animatedly beside her about the scene. Before she could voice her opinion, Lara rested her gaze on Tom, nodding quickly and giving a thumbs up. That was enough for the man to approach.

"Hello!" He said, excited. A few drops of sweat ran down his forehead. Even though the temperature was already mild, the clothes he wore were far from fresh. "What do you think? Was the cinematography good?" He questioned, the humor in his voice causing Lara to laugh weakly.

"Well, considering that my boss is the cinematographer, I think I can only praise it, right?" She replied with a smile. "You were great, Tom."

"Thank you very much, miss," he acknowledged a little shy. "Well, I have to go. We have an interview to do today." Tom sighed, tiredness filling his face. "See you tomorrow, Lara!"

Lara smiled, waving as she watched the man leave. She then turned to her group, finding Matthew looking at her with slightly arched eyebrows. Jonathan and Cassandra were still talking animatedly. Matthew opened his mouth to comment on the brief contact between Hiddleston and Lara but was interrupted again.

"Well, we need to assemble these things here," said Jonathan, pointing to some equipment around. His team promptly nodded. "Then everyone is free!"

In 10 minutes, everything was in place, and the trailer was properly locked. The group returned to Jonathan having a few words with Joss. When he saw them, he waved and said goodbye to his friend, heading towards his team.

"So, the first day is completed!" Exclaimed the man, his voice overflowing with happiness. "We should celebrate, what do you think?"

"It's Monday, Williams." began Cassandra, still sulky. Lara and Matthew could not find out what had caused the woman's bad mood, but they cursed whatever had happened. She was completely unbearable. "I don't think it's a good idea to go out drinking."

"I didn't suggest we go out for a drink, did I, Cassandra?" Jonathan growled a sign that his patience was near the end. "I just suggested that we go out to celebrate.

The woman looked at him angrily, ready to reply and start a fight, right there, in the middle of the set. Lara and Matthew looked at each other, confused even more by their behavior. Discreetly, they started to walk away, but the whole situation was interrupted by a melodic horn. The group turned towards the noise, finding Anabela on her bicycle. She waved excitedly and, to avoid an argument, or to save herself and Matthew from witnessing one, Lara motioned for her to come closer. The youngest took off her colorful helmet, getting off the bike and bringing it close to the group.

"Guys, this is Anabela, my friend!" said Lara, pushing Anabela closer to the group, who grinned. "Anabela, this is Cassandra and Matthew. You have already met Jonathan."

"Hi, guys!" Exclaimed Anabela, kissing them in the cheeks. Four years away from Brazil, and she still cultivated this habit. "It is a pleasure to meet you! And see you again, obviously, Jonathan. How are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Anabela," he replied promptly, pretending that he was not on the verge of arguing with Cassandra a few seconds ago. ''And what about you, young lady?"

"Great!" She smiled "Things at school are a little chaotic, so I'm sorry for looking a little messy," she commented politely. "I came rushing to pick up Lara, I haven't even had time to clean up."

"Ah, do you work at a school?" Matthew asked, interested. He hadn't stopped smiling since the young woman arrived.

"More or less, I'm an intern in one," Bela replied, excited. She loved to talk about her passions: education and science. "I'm a French and Linguistics graduate!" She completed, smiling broadly. Matthew, and even Cassandra, continued to ask some questions, which the woman promptly answered. "Look, Lara and I were going to Lombardi’s to eat the best pizza in New York and celebrate her first day. Do you want to come too?"

The group of colleagues became excited about the possibility of a great pizza, quickly accepting the invitation. They then decided to take a taxi, while Anabela and Lara would go by bicycle. As soon as everyone left, Bela turned anxiously to her friend.

"How was it? How was it? How was it?" she inquired, extremely curious and excited, jumping around the older one "Was it incredible?"

"Ok, ok, I have a lot to tell you," Lara sighed as she put on her helmet. She sat on the back of the bicycle, settling down. Anabela, also protected, sat down, starting to ride it. "I passed out, I met ScarJo, and a Tom Hiddleston, " she stopped, pausing dramatically to release information that would make her friend very excited, " and yes, Mark Ruffalo is in the film. " Anabela did almost everything but stop the bike and do a little dance in the middle of the street " Don't even think about asking questions now, because we will only continue this conversation after dinner. You will have to wait."

"Oh, Lara, did I say I hate you today?" Anabela asked, annoyed by the fact that she would have to wait to know what happened.

"Yes," Lara replied, laughing. "Now go, bitch, I want pizza."

Anabela laughed, speeding up the bike. The wind made the girls' hair sway. Lara sighed deeply, soaking in the fact that the first day of work had not only arrived but was also ending. Even so, she continued to feel nervous. Her insecurity had never been as strong as it was at that moment. Perhaps because so much was at stake.

Her thoughts, however, were interrupted. They had already arrived at the pizzeria, where Matthew, Cassandra, and Jonathan were sitting. They got off the bike, and Anabela locked it in the bike rack. They walked towards the door, and, before entering, Anabela stopped.

"Just tell me one thing, please." the youngest pleaded. Then she asked something that made her friend roll her eyes and laugh at her friend's insistence. "Is Mark Ruffalo as perfect as I imagined?" Lara ignored her, entering the restaurant "LARA! I JUST NEED TO KNOW THIS, PLEASE!" she shouted, without getting any answer. "LARA! IT IS NOT FAIR!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't kill me 'cause of the delay...  
> we already have chapter 5 and 6 in portuguese, starting to work on the 7   
> Hope you guys are liking the story, if you have any comments about what you thought so far of the story let us know on the comments down below.


	5. The Ring

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry everyone for the delay of the translation of this chapter.  
> I barely had time to post the portuguese vesion during the classes, so I am finally free to translate the chapters and post the ones that we have ready!  
> Soooo hope you enjoy!

"Okay, I swear I ended up here," Katherine said, pulling her hair out of her ponytail. Every time she concentrated, she unconsciously tied her hair, and that afternoon had certainly been stressful. Anabela took her eyes off the phone, even though what she hoped had not yet appeared on the screen, staring at the brunette in front of her.

"You said that a few times today, Moore," She mumbled, stirring the rest of his tea with his spoon. She had made an appointment to meet her friend at work, a pastry shop where she worked as a manager, almost two hours ago. Together, they would go looking for the perfect engagement ring for Mayra Laghari, Katy's future bride. However, some problem that did not seem interesting to Anabela at the moment had made her friend to stay longer at work, and Bela, consequently, waiting for her.

"Look, I've apologized a thousand times." Katy complained, the afternoon stress still on her body. Anabela was generally quite patient, but today she was on edge. Katherine decided to investigate this later, when she was calmer. "If you don't want to go, forget it." Completed, raising her arms as if she was surrendering.

Anabela rolled her eyes, putting her cell phone in her bag. She promptly put some notes on the table. She got up and faced Katy, who pretended not to be bothered by her friend's possible withdrawal. Bela walked to the confectionery door, opening it. She looked at Katy again and said, in a lighter tone:

"Are you really going to make me wait any longer?"

"Yay!" Said Katy, clapping her hands as she hurriedly walked over to her friend. "I knew you weren't so boring as to leave me at this very important moment," she added, putting as much drama into her voice as possible.

"Nhem, I just want to walk around the city in search of the perfect ring because I like jewelry a lot" Anabela countered sarcastically. The young women started walking towards the nearest metro.

"Okay, I'm tired of this game," sighed Katy, a little more seriously. The stress of choosing the perfect ring for Mayra was beginning to invade her body. Again, her hair was in a ponytail. "I thought we were going to go on that street near the Rockefeller Center, there are millions of jewelry stores there." she said, leading Anabela to nod. "Well, at least that's what Mayra's assistant said."

"She's right, don't worry." replied Anabela, smiling in an attempt to calm her friend. The subway stairs were already close. Bela thanked herself mentally that, even with Katy's delay, she still wasn't in rush hour. Today was not a day when she was patient to deal with a crowded car.

The two went downstairs, promptly looking for their cards. After a light discussion about the best route to get to the desired street, they went through the turnstiles, going to the necessary side. When they were almost at the station, they saw the subway that was leaving there with speed. Katherine swore loudly, squeezing her ponytail. She found an empty bench and threw herself, waiting for the next train.

Anabela calmly sat down next to her, watching her friend's face closely. Katy was a great companion, but in order to discover this, it was necessary to first pass through an almost impenetrable armor that she almost always wore. The young woman had a beautiful and striking presence. Her nose was thin and her lips, which were now compressed, wide. But what gave her firmness were her brown and very expressive eyes. They exuded power. And it was for them that, if you watched carefully, you could understand everything the girl was feeling. At that moment, for strangers, it was only possible to see anger, and more anger. Bela, however, could see something more. Nervousness.

"So ..." Anabela started to speak, trying to make her friend confess her feelings in an indirect way. Katy hated talking about emotions. "Have you and Mayra talked about how the wedding will be?" She asked, always trying to understand what Katherine's eyes said. "Are you going to do Indian and Western, or just Western?"

"We don't know if her parents will want to come." Katy sighed. Again, anyone who didn't know her would only hear the anger in her voice. But Bela did not. "So why do you want to do something to please them if they don't care enough to come?"

"Well, whether they come or not, it's part of her culture, isn't it?" Asked Bela. She was not so close to Katy's future bride, but she knew how important her cultural heritage was to Mayra. "Perhaps it is worth doing for her, not for others." 

"Yeah, maybe," Katherine murmured, a few seconds before a new train arrived. The girls boarded and, after a while, were already at 47-50 Streets Rockefeller Center Subway Station. "Okay, as I recall, it is at 47th that has several jewelry stores. Let's go?"

The two walked for a while down the street, looking incessantly at every window they passed. They entered some stores, but no ring seemed to please Katherine. The more time passed, the more apprehensive she became. When they left what looked like the thousandth store, Katy freaked out. As soon as she passed the door, she leaned against the facade, sliding down to the floor, where she began to cry. At that moment, Anabela froze. In four years of friendship, she had never seen her friend cry.

"Katy?" She asked desperately. She bent down to stand at her level. She thanked New York for being strange enough that no one would be surprised at a woman crying copiously on the floor "Sweetie, what are you doing?"

"I am a failure as a girlfriend, I will be as a bride," she said between sobs, which grew more and more intense. "I won't even have the opportunity to be a wife, because obviously I won't be able to get there!" She spoke louder, her voice hoarse.

"Katherine Moore, what the fuck are you talking about?" Anabela questioned, not believing what she heard. At that moment, she was already on her knees on the floor.

"I can't find a ring for the woman of my life!" Exclaimed Katy, without stopping crying. Her nose was already red and her eyes were starting to swell. "And you know what? You are right about Indian marriage! It is obvious that she wants this and I only noticed all the hints because you talked about it! What if you hadn't spoken? Would I never notice?" She continued, heartbroken. Her voice had become more hoarse, her shirt wet with tears that kept falling. "Anabela, I am not sentimental like you two, imagine how many things I failed to understand? She will leave me, especially when I arrive with one of those horrible rings that we saw today!"

"Katy, for God's sake!" Anabela exclaimed, a little laughing. "Mayra won't leave you, I'm sure of it. Do you know why?" She asked, turning her friend's face in her direction. "Because she loves you, silly. She knows all her flaws and qualities. Exactly why she wants to be with you!" She continued, handing a washcloth in his bag to Katy, who was beginning to calm down with Bela's sweet words. "She chose you even with all the things that were against you two, and that is why your marriage will work out."

"But Ana, I am so practical, I never notice anything ... " sobbed Katy again. The crying, at least, was beginning to stop. "And the ring! She is the reference wedding dress designer in town, how can I ask her to marry me with an ugly ring?"

"Katy, sweetie, let's go by parts." sighed Anabela, smiling calmly. "You're really practical. That's true. She also hates talking about her feelings, which is a problem sometimes." Katherine looked at her angrily. "But you express what you're feeling your way! If you didn't worry about Mayra, you wouldn't be in the middle of 47th crying on the floor!" She said laughing, which made Katy laugh too. "Besides, I know that you have been doing therapy to be able to express yourself better, and I also know that Mayra is very happy because of that. Because you are trying." She continued, stroking her friend's head. "Now, about the ring, you're right. We only saw a horrible ring, which has nothing to do with it. But we're not done looking yet! I guarantee you that we will find a perfect one."

"Okay, okay." Katy sighed, getting up. She gave Anabela a strong hug, which continued the affection she was doing. She cleaned herself quickly with the washcloth her friend had lent her, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "You're right."

"I'm always right, sweetie." Bela said, laughing. She fixed her friend's hair, and then her own. Then she took her hand. "Great, now, let's drink some water to rehydrate and keep looking." The two started walking, until Anabela saw a small shop with a lovely green door. "It looks like a cafeteria, come on."

When the girls went through the door, they couldn't help but be surprised. The small cafeteria was, in fact, a delicate jewelry store. However, unlike any they had entered so far, this one had a much more intimate feel. It could be because of the wooden furniture, because of the alternative way of exhibiting the jewels, or because they seem to be extremely personalized. But when they saw a lady who seemed to be the owner of the store watching them with a welcoming smile, they understood why they felt so comfortable there. 

"Good afternoon girls." said the lady in a melodic tone. "How can I help you today?"

"Good afternoon! Replied Katherine, feeling calm for the first time all day. Something in itself said that it would finally find what it was looking for. "I'm looking for an engagement ring for my future bride." she informed.

"Sure!" Said the lady. She left behind the table where she was and approached the girls. "I believe that engagement rings should be something that reflects the owner and the love that the brides share." Katy nodded. "How would you describe your bride?"

"Well ..." Katherine cleared her throat. "Mayra is the most beautiful person I have ever met. Not only because she really is beautiful, but because she has the most beautiful soul of all. She is always looking to help everyone who can. She is so loving and caring." She continued, her gaze a little lost, probably thinking of his bride. Anabela watched her friend, moved. "She's very strong too. You have an opinion for everything. She's an artist, you know? I have never seen anyone able to express so much what he feels through art."

"I think I have a great suggestion for you." The lady smiled, disappearing behind a door. When she returned, she was carrying a small green velvet box. She positioned herself in front of Katy, looking into her eyes. As much as she didn't know the girl, she seemed to understand exactly what they were saying. "This ring was made by me not long ago, when the memory of someone like yours Mayra did not leave my head. I never thought of selling it, but I don't think it makes sense to stay away from the person who clearly owns it." slowly opened the box. Inside it rested the most beautiful ring that the girls had ever seen. Of old gold, it had a beautiful opaque green stone of irregular cut. That was the perfect ring for Mayra. "So, what did you think?" She asked. Tears were streaming freely down Katy's face. That was it.

When Bela arrived home, she found the kitchen and living room darker than at night outside. She switched on some lamps, taking off her shoes and storing them in the shoe rack near the door. In a matter of seconds, Pandora, her puppy, was already at her side, asking for affection. Anabela picked her up, sighing. The day had definitely been exhausting. She walked to Lara's room, knocking on the door.

"Come in!" she heard Lara scream from inside the room. Bela came in calmly. Midnight, Lara's cat, slept calmly in the girl's bed. Already she was sitting at her bench, concentrated on her computer screen. Because she used her traditional headphones, the youngest assumed that she listened to music. "So! How was it like?"

"Intense." sighed Anabela, leaning against the screen embedded in the wall that created a kind of office in the room, where Lara was. "Katy freaked out in a moment and started to cry. Four years and I had never seen her do that."

"Damn, the little thing must be really stressed." Said Lewis, without taking his eyes off the computer. Bela fidgeted, a little uncomfortable, but decided to reveal it.

"Yes, a lot." replied the youngest, remembering the day. "To this day, I don't understand how you became more friends with Mayra, since you and Katy have practically the same personality. "Lara shrugged. "Anyway, I'm going to rest. Don't forget to take this crockery to the kitchen so that it doesn't come cheap, huh!" commented Anabela. Lara rolled her eyes and waved her hand.

Anabela went to her room, throwing herself on the bed. Pandora promptly went to her own bed, lying down. The young woman began to hear Katy's words to describe Mayra again and began to think about how her boyfriend, Hunter, would describe her. Would he be as sweet as Katy? Would as much love overflow in his speech as it overflowed in Katy's?

The truth is that, since they had returned at the beginning of the year, after an end due to a betrayal by the boy, things were no longer the same. Anabela, during these four years of coming and going, had always believed faithfully that the two would be together. That they would circumvent all problems and obstacles, in the end, to be happy. But today, lying in her bed, after spending all day waiting for a message from the boy, who had canceled his plans for the weekend for the third time, Bela was no longer so sure.

The girl definitely did everything in her power to be the best girlfriend she could. Obviously he had his defects, but he felt that, with his own effort and a lot of therapy, he was only progressing. However, day after day, she felt less and less loved, by Hunter. The trust she had once had in the boy had also vanished, mainly with her intuition leading her to believe he continued to betray her with the "friend" he had made during the period in which the two were separated. The Australian, however, always claimed that the girl was crazy or paranoid, because there was nothing going on. Even his friends confirmed the narrative that there was nothing to worry about.

Even so, Anabela couldn't feel at peace. Not when she knew her boyfriend went out drinking every Friday, Saturday and Sunday without fail. Not when she saw her “friend” hit Hunter in front of her. But, the boyfriend wouldn't lie, right? There was no reason to lie. And it made Bela feel guilty. How could you not trust your boyfriend? How could she be so paranoid and crazy?

The guilt was gradually consuming the girl. She was only willing to go to college because she needed to. She needed to do well, she needed to graduate. She owed it to his family, who had invested so much in her education. She owed it to herself, who had dreamed of being where she was now, even though lately she no longer saw any sense in it all.

She walked to the bathroom of the house, preparing a very hot shower. She undressed, getting into the shower and letting the water soak her entire body. Her head was heavy. Hunter, Katy, Mayra, college, her mother, her father, Lara. Everyone appeared in her thoughts, which never ceased, no matter how hard Bella tried. And so, her tears were mixed with the bath water.

She did not notice the time passing, staying under the shower until his fingers were extremely wrinkled. She returned to her room, without turning on the lights. She put on her pajamas, sitting on her bed. In the dark, she felt around her nightstand, looking for her medicine for yet another of her usual headaches. She lay down under the covers, cringing in an attempt to disappear. When Pandora approached, snuggling close to the owner, Anabela couldn't stand it and cried even more. She cried as if that were going to free her from all her pains, fears, paranoia and madness. She cried until her eyes were heavy and sleep overcame her. She slept before she could see her cell phone glow in the dark, showing the message he had been waiting for all day.

_“Stop drama, Anabela. You only know how to complain. I need time with my friends. We can go out next week, there's Ryan's party, remember? Anyway, I'm busy now. In another moment we talk. Goodbye"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since we, Ana and I, have different college class schedules (I'm on vacation now, but her college is back now) we are trying to manage the time to be able to write, translate and post in less time. I hope you guys continue to follow the story and if you have any suggestions leave a comment for us!


	6. The Party (Part1)

"Are you sure it looks good?" Asked Lara again. Not that she had much time to change if she weren't, since the time to perform was approaching. Her eyes scanned her computer screen, which showed the model poster she had made days before to present to Jonathan. Seeing the recordings over the past few weeks, the girl had an idea for a possible poster for the film.

"I just think you should make this drawing of the Hulk bigger ..." murmured Anabela, who was eating some mixture of yogurt and fruit. Her gaze roamed the screen, looking for any measly defect that might hinder her friend, but she found nothing. "You know ... Because Mark Ruffalo is perfect and deserves more focus." she completed, filling her mouth afterwards.

"Girl, I told you a few times that the focus of the film is not him!" Muttered Lara, moving her leg impatiently. Each time it blinked, a minute passed on the clock, the hour of the presentation approaching.

"Okay, okay." The youngest grunted, scraping the last of the yogurt from her bowl. Lara thought Bela's insatiable hunger was strange that morning, mainly because she had attacked everything she saw for a week, but decided not to comment. "Since my dear Mark will not get the attention he deserves, the poster is great. The fact that it was drawn really matched the origin in the comics, I thought that was awesome. She analyzed, her tone more serious in the last sentence. Lara relaxed a little, that was exactly her goal and Anabela understood it even without explanation. "I can't imagine a scenario that Jonathan doesn't like, he always loves his illustrations. It will work!"

Anabela's phone rang, warning her that she needed to leave soon so as not to be late for her class. The girl turned it off, hugging Lara awkwardly and wishing her luck. When she left the room, Lara turned her attention back to the poster. She couldn't believe she was really good. Their hopes went up. Maybe the team liked it, maybe they'll use her work. It would be her chance to stand out, to show why Jonathan had chosen her for the job.

She saved the file on her pendrive, carefully placing it in her bag. She arranged it on her shoulder and looked at herself again in the mirror, staring at her reflection. She wore medium-wash jeans and a moss-green button-down shirt. You were well dressed, weren't you? How she wished Anabela hadn't left yet, as she always helped her choose the perfect outfit for moments like this. Thinking about her friend, she remembered the black moccasin she had that would look perfect with her clothes. She gathered everything that still needed to be kept in her bag and ran to Anabela's room.

When she opened the door, she was startled. One thing that greatly irritated Lara was Anabela's habit of cleaning and tidying, which was that kind of quality that, in excess, became a defect. And how Anabela was excessive in that respect. However, her friend's room at that time was as far away from tidy or clean as possible. Her bed was not made, even though she considered it a sin to leave the house with a messy bed. The closed curtains left the room so dark that Lara had to turn on the light, even if the sun shone on the apartment at this time of morning.

She entered the room, bumping into some clothes that were lying on the floor, probably dirty. She decided to ignore them, moving to the door on the left side of the bed. Anabela's room had a kind of closet that she had transformed into a closet and office. That was where her loafers would probably be. Opening the door, Lara found more clothes and papers scattered around. Passing them, she looked for her shoes, leaving the closet as soon as she found them. She knew it was no example of cleanliness to question her friend, but she had been acting weird for a week now. First the insatiable hunger, now the mess. What was happening?

She made a mental note to talk to Bela when she got back from work. She looked at the kitchen clock, seeing that she still had a little time before she needed to leave. She left her shoes by the door, prepared a sandwich to eat for lunch, and turned on her video game, eager to play a game of Dawntless. However, even before the game loaded, she felt the phone in her pocket vibrate.

"Cassandra?" Lara asked as she took the phone to her ear, wondering about the woman's call. With the control in hand, she flipped through the video game menu.

"I need you here. Now." with each passing day, Lara discovered a new level of anger towards Cassandra. Hearing the way the woman said the brief words, she was sure she had discovered a new one. "An emergency has occurred. I'll meet you in half an hour."

Lara jumped up, grabbing the bag and sandwich that was on the island. She didn't even know that Cassandra had her phone, so for her to call something very serious should have happened. She ran to the elevator, relentlessly pressing the button while trying awkwardly to put on Anabela's loafers, which never seemed so complicated to put on. Breathless, she stepped into the elevator, looking for the fastest way and means of transportation to reach Central Park in 30 minutes. However, all she found were crowded streets, crowded trains and even lack of taxis. Desperation took over her body, and all the good humor she was feeling simply disappeared, as if by magic.

It had been 45 minutes since Cassandra's chaotic call, and Lewis was finally in Central Park. With her hair untidy, her shirt definitely rumpled and the phone receiving messages over and over, the young woman ran across the park lawn, trying to get there as quickly as possible to get to Bethesda Terrace. So, without realizing it, she ran into something. Adjusting her glasses, she realized that this thing was actually someone.

"Lara?!" Asked security guard Charles. He had a nervous and even a little threatening face.

"Charles, hi, sorry!" Lara breathed, tired of the crazy race she had made to get to work. "I'm in a huge hurry, Cassandra called me desperately and I'm super late! Can we talk later?"

"Hm ... Yeah, I know Miss Stuart is stressed." commented, a little low. "Well, we are already close and I was going back to the set anyway, let me accompany you ..."

"Charles, do you happen to know what happened?" Asked Lewis, slowing down. From a distance he could see the recording containers and some people on the team, who were rotating from side to side. She ran her hands over her shirt, trying and failing to lessen the wrinkles.

"Much more or less, miss." Charles replied, his voice serious. "When I arrived, it was already a mess," he continued, putting his hands in his pocket and sighing "but I think someone ..."

"LARA LEWIS DE ALMEIDA" a feminine and very angry voice shouted, causing the pigeons nearby to fly - I SAID 30 MINUTES, NOT 60!

Charles and Lara looked at each other, the last sense that could pass out at any moment. She was afraid to turn around and face Cassandra, but she needed to. Millions of scenarios about what might have happened went through his head, and they all ended with his resignation. She blinked and the security guard was no longer on her side.

"Cassandra, I'm really sorry, but I live in Brooklyn and ..." She tried to explain himself, but without success, since the woman had started to yell at her again.

"AND YOU THINK I CARE?" She asked furiously. "I SAID 30 MINUTES, YOU'RE HERE IN 15." His voice, even though it seemed impossible, sounded even more menacing. Lara felt her hands tremble. "WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, I THINK THE RIDICULOUS THAT ..."

"Cassandra, it's done." Matthew's booming, serious voice interrupted her. His face was hard, as were his eyes. He had never had much patience for the woman, but today he has overcome himself. "Lewis is not to blame, either for what happened or for not arriving here in the ridiculous time you stipulated."

Lara froze. She always felt that in the team hierarchy, Matthew was below Cassandra, if only a little. However, at that moment when the two faced each other with such intensity, she began to doubt whether she had understood the dynamics correctly. Central Park had never seemed so quiet, even with so many people present. The silence remained for seconds that felt like hours, but no one had been brave enough to break it. No one except Jonathan, who looked like he was on the verge of collapse.

"York, please update Lewis on what's going on and have her do something to help us." He said, his tone surprisingly calm. Matthew relaxed a little, turning to Lara and opening something that could be, with a lot of effort, recognized as a smile prototype. "Cassandra," he continued lower, wrapping his arms around the woman's shoulder and drawing her closer. "come with me please."

The two walked away, without exchanging another word. The tense atmosphere faded slightly, but not enough for Lara to relax. She didn't know, but it would last for the entire weekend that came. Matthew indicated a bench and, as they approached, threw himself on it.

"It's 9 am and I can't take it anymore." Sighed low.

"Matthew, I swear to you, I came as fast as I could. I couldn't find a taxi, the subway was in trouble,” Lara whimpered, ready for the second biggest scolding of her life. "I really tried. You can look at Maps if you want, the city has a hell of a traffic and ..."

"Lara, everything is fine." Matthew interrupted, trying his best to show understanding even if inside was a nervous breakdown. "It's New York, if you could get here in "15 minutes"," he said, imitating Cassandra's voice in a slightly malicious tone, "I would be pissed at you."

"Matt, what the hell happened?" He asked, fidgeting on the bench, as he faced the green in front of him. "If it was just the nervous Cassandra, I wouldn't be surprised, but even Charles from security was strange ..."

"Someone broke into the set this morning." York explained abruptly. "Charles is nervous because it was his team responsible for this shift. They took some things like costumes, some equipment and ..." continued sorry "Well, some files are missing."

"As well?" Lara asked, extremely confused. Questions flooded his head. "How did someone break in here? What do you mean the files are gone? Someone got hurt?"

"We don't know yet, it was around 4:30 am, so the police are still investigating." Explained Matt, looking back at Lara. "One of the security guards was slightly injured and is in the hospital, but he'll be fine. Cassandra was one of the first to arrive and so far has no answer about what happened, so that's why she is." continued, playing with his own hands. "About the files ... Well, one or the other scene that we recorded disappeared, and nobody had backed it up, which means they'll have to re-record it. This is a problem because we will need more time, even if it is little, and more money ..."

"Besides having the chance of someone leaking ..." Lara commented softly, her gaze on the floor. In situations like this, where she could do nothing but listen and hope for the best, her shyness was even greater. So she couldn't keep her eyes on Matthew.

"Yes, exactly." Agreed the man shortly. "Whedon is a nervous wreck more because of that, he is afraid of destroying any chance that the film has to go well." continued, clarifying the situation. "And the question is not even the money he is going to lose, is that he has several crazy ideas and this film would be the door to that."

Lara listened, shaking her head in agreement. By some cruel coincidence of fate, Central Park was empty. So empty that the young woman could practically hear her teammate's thoughts. She knew that, while she had inadvertently appeared on the project, for many, like Matthew and Cassandra, that was the job of the career. Lara also set expectations on him and knew how important it would be, but for many people the expectations were extremely different. And that morning, it was almost destroyed.

Matt jumped up and fixed his gaze on nature, taking a few deep breaths before closing his eyes. And, as suddenly as he had risen, he screamed. He screamed so loudly that Lara, absorbed in thought, jumped on the bench where she was sitting. He screamed so loudly that echoes resonated over a long area of that green nature in the park. All of his frustration was in that scream. Then he turned to his colleague, his expression already serene.

"C’mon, girl" he sighed, extending his hand to Lara "Staying in the shit is not an option, let's resolve what happened and move on." He exclaimed, determined. Together, they went to the set, where people were gradually overcoming the incident.

It was after one in the morning when Lara was finally able to stop working. Countless re-recordings have been made, and countless recordings as well. Actors, staff, producers, all came together to help each other as much as possible. She hadn't had a chance to present her work. Upon hearing Whedon announce that what was possible was over, the young woman fell to the floor, her body numb with exhaustion. Lying down, she checked the phone, relieved that Anabela had seen her message explaining how long it would take before she freaked out and went to the set to look for it.

"May I sit here?" She heard a gentle voice ask. She raised her head, facing the actor who had helped her on her first day. "Lara, right?"

"Make yourself at home," Lara replied, trying to smile, even though her eyes were heavy with tiredness. "Yes, Lara." Completed, realizing that she was not sure about the name of the man in front of her. "And you are Tom, correct?"

"Myself!" he said, impressing Lara with the animation still in his voice. He got a little closer, even if they were on a giant lawn, wanting to make Tom comfortable. "Sorry to interrupt your moment of contemplation, but I am the only one who is ready to leave and I hate to be alone."

"Ah, don't worry. I'm too tired to even contemplate anything." Lara explained so directly that it made the actor laugh lightly. Both were looking forward, fixed on nothing. Lara hated those moments. I didn't know Tom well, she didn't know what to say, she hated small talk and was exhausted.

"It's not really that I hate to be alone," the actor started to say, probably embarrassed by the silence. "We did so much today, so I have a certain adrenaline in my body, you know?" continued explaining, even without Lara being able to understand this sensation. The only thing she could think of was a hot shower and her bed. "So I need to talk to someone, however shy I am. I don't even know how I got here because we barely know each other. You know, I think this is very funny, I'm so quiet, but sometimes out of the blue it makes me want to talk and then ..."

"I understood!" Exclaimed Lara, her voice a little lower than normal. Tom looked at her in surprise, then turned forward again. Shit. He had been coarse "unintentionally, by the way" with an important actor in the important film he was working on. Shit. A few minutes passed. With his head bowed, he started pulling some grass out of the ground, trying to overcome his shame and fix the situation. "Excuse!" said the two at the same time.

"I'm sorry." Tom sighed, his voice quieter than it had been minutes ago. "It was extremely rude of me to take you out of your silence with my meaningless talk."

"No, no, please," pleaded Lara, turning to the actor even if her desire was to diminish into a ball "it's not your fault!" He continued, pulling the grasses with more force. "I'm so tired that I couldn't control my voice properly, I really didn't want to be thick. I think it's admirable that you still want to socialize with others after today, really. You will probably even be able to go to the nearest fast food and order food." he joked, pulling a light smile from Tom. "I wouldn't even have the capacity, all I want is to disappear in my cave, especially after being unkind to you."

"Well, I suppose it really is an admirable gift to be able to go to the restaurant to order food after that horrible day" the actor extended the joke, posing as a peace prize winner. "But don't worry, if you're very hungry, I'll ask you for something too."

Lara laughed weakly. The man, realizing that he would be able to talk to someone as he wanted as long as he kept the subject alive, began to ask the stupidest questions possible. However, he realized that, even after talking for a long time, he knew very little about the colleague sitting next to him. On the contrary, it was possible that she knew much more about him, who basically knew Lewis's age, name, and nationality.

"Hiddleston!" a thick voice called the actor "I'm ready! Let's go?" a tall man with broad shoulders approached where the two were sitting. His blond hair was slicked back, still wet from the likely shower he had taken, making Tom wait for a while. He had a gentle smile, his teeth shining. "Oops, it was bad! Do I disturb anything?"

"Absolutely not, I was waiting for you." Replied Hiddleston, rising. He shook some grass off his clothes and held out his hand to Lara, offering his help to get up. However, she did not notice the gesture, standing alone. "And waiting, I say, annoying the person next to me!" He pointed to Lewis, who nodded briefly. "Chris, this is Lara Lewis. Lara, this is Chris Evans."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Evans!"

"It's my pleasure, Lara," the man introduced himself, waving back. "And you can call me Chris. Or actor-better-than-Tom-Hiddleston." Completed, with a smile that extended from ear to ear. Hiddleston rolled his eyes, laughing lightly.

"This is already boring, Evans." Replied the Englishman. "And it's a lie, okay, Lara?" reinforced, turning to the young woman. "I'm clearly the best actor!" Chris pretended to agree, his face in the best ironic expression. "Well, I think we will go. Do you need help ordering food at the nearest fast food, Miss Lewis?"

"Ah, don't worry." Lara replied, laughing lightly at the reference made by the actor. "My friend certainly left something ready for me to eat when I got home. And she'll be offended if I don't eat."

The two men smiled gently and nodded. After saying goodbye again, they left. Lara, as much as she had enjoyed Tom's company, thanked her mentally, as all she wanted to do was lie in her bed and sleep for a long time. So he ran to the nearest street, boarding the first taxi she saw. She got home faster than she imagined, probably because of tiredness, and after devouring the food Anabela had prepared, she threw herself on the bed.

"Lara ... Lara ..." the young woman heard someone speak quietly. She shifted on the bed, ignoring the calls. "Lara ... Lara ... Are you taking a shower?" the voice continued, bringing the young girl back to reality little by little. "Lara, seriously ... Do you hear me?"

Lara moved more, her eyes slowly opening. The room was very dark, the only light coming in from the crack in the door. Her name was still being called insistently. She groped for her phone, but was unable to find anything. She ran her hands over her face and groaned, which the voice interpreted as an invitation to enter her room.

"Finally you answered me, I've been calling you for a long time." Complained Anabela, who entered the room holding some clothes and shoe boxes. The light coming from the room made the eyes of Lara, who had managed to sit against the headboard, hurt. "So, you already decided what clothes you ..." the young woman started to say, but interrupting herself in the middle of the sentence. Lara could have sworn her face went pale, but she couldn't be sure because of the poor lighting in her room.

"What's it?"

"You ... were you sleeping ?!" questioned Anabela incredulous, who squeezed everything she held in her hands tightly. Lara looked at her confused. What else did the friend expect?

"Um ..." Lewis replied in a sarcastic tone, irritated that she had been woken. "Did I get home too late? I don't even know what time it is, but the way you're exaggerated, it must be super early ..."

"Early?!" Complained Bela, dropping everything on the floor. With heavy steps, she walked to the bedroom window, opening the curtain wide. Lara protested, covering her eyes with clarity. "It's 3:00, damn it."

"AND...?" the older woman countered. "Did you become my mother by any chance? I got home super late because of work!"

"No, no ..." Anabela increased her voice, which already showed notes of fury. She stared hard at her friend. "I am ONLY your friend. The one you promised to accompany at her boyfriend's party today."

"Fuck, Anabela." Lara growled, lying down again. She didn't believe her friend had woken her up just because of this damn Ryan and Hunter party. "I didn't even want to go to that, after yesterday I certainly won't."

"OH NO!" She shouted, heading towards Lara's bed, from whom she stripped off the covers. "Yes, you will, promise is promise and I don't care about your horrible excuses!"

"Hey, give the cover back!" Protested Lara, rising angrily. I didn't believe in the ridiculous situation that was involved. I just wanted to sleep. "I don't care about anyone going to this party, I'm tired and you're just going to be with your little boyfriend." pulled the covers back, throwing them on the bed. "And they are not horrible excuses, the day was a shit and I need to rest."

"Lara Lewis de Almeida, you promised me!" Cried Anabela, who pulled the cover off again. Lara, stressed, pulled her back and so the two started a dispute, as if they were children. In a moment, she used more strength and her friend fell to the floor. The older woman almost celebrated her victory by lying down on the bed again, but something stopped her. Bela had started to cry. "I need you to go ..." she sniffed softly.

"Bela, I hate these parties." she remembered, speaking with a little more calm when she saw the state of her friend, who was crying loudly. "You're going to be with Hunter all the time, so it won't make a difference if I go."

"I think ..." Anabela tried to say between sobs, her face already wet so much the amount of tears that ran down her face. "I think he'll break up with me again."

"Why do you think that, Ana?" Asked Lara, bending down at Bela's height. She pulled out a few strands of hair that were stuck to the girl's face, gradually understanding her friend's strange behavior over the past week. "Did he do anything?"

"He ... he ... He's not talking to me anymore." Whined Bela. "He doesn't go out with me anymore, and he fights with me when I try to go out with him. He says he's busy, but I know he's been out drinking almost every day with Ryan and Alicia." explained more. Lara started to caress her friend awkwardly. She had never been good with this kind of situation, even though she had been through it a few times in the past four years. "And the only time he let me go out with them, I swear it's not my paranoia, she was shamelessly hitting on him. Even Ryan was uncomfortable!"

"Hm ... Do you think he's cheating on you again?"

"I don't know, Lara ..." she said softly, the cry louder than ever. "He promised not to and said that I'm crazy for thinking that. He wouldn't lie, would he? And wouldn't he do it again?"

"Look, I ..." stammered Lara, not knowing what to say. She didn't like Hunter and believed he was a terrible person, with the right to cheat on his girlfriend several times. But she knew that love had left Anabela blind. "I think, because of his history ..." she tried to express herself, searching for the best words for that. "Ana, if you are doubting, maybe it is better ..."

"I'm wrong!" Exclaimed Bela, wiping her tears away. "There is no reason for him to lie and I am being a bad girlfriend for not believing him. So I need to go to that party today. I need to be a better girlfriend." She continued, getting up and collecting the clothes she had dropped when she entered the room. "Sorry for the mess, I'll just keep it here and help you fix it, okay?"

"I only apologize if you let me go to the party today with you." Lara said with determination. From the young woman's reports and Hunter's background, she felt that something bad was going to happen that night. So I wanted to be with my friend, just in case. "Can be?"

It was 9 pm sharp when Lara and Anabela entered the elevator of Ryan's building. The son of millionaire lawyers, the young man lived alone in a huge apartment in New York. He was famous throughout the city for his insane parties and, because of the noise that was already possible to be heard, this would be no different.

The girls looked at each other in the mirror. Lara was wearing a black long-sleeved gypsy blouse with white high-waisted pants. At the waist, her beloved Gucci belt. The young woman definitely hated her college classmates who loved to flaunt in their clothes, which were usually horrible. However, she valued quality items and that belt, which she always wore, was one of those. As much as it often did not seem, Lara, like her friend, came from wealthy families, being used to certain brands.

Anabela already wore a long-sleeved little monkey. The print was his favorite: poá. To make sure it wouldn't be cold, she also wore thin black tights. At her feet was a boot she had stolen from Lara. Another item that also belonged to her friend was the leather jacket wrapped around her waist. On her face, simple makeup. Marsala lips and black eyeliner. It didn't look like the girl who had been crying hours before.

"Look, I'll look for Hunter when I get there, but I swear I'll be right back to be with you." Said Bela. As impeccable as it was, her voice was fragile. "I promise, okay?"

"Take it easy, Ana." Lara assured her. She looked at herself again in the elevator mirror before leaving, checking that her shirt was right inside her pants. "So don't really leave me, but don't be in a hurry."

Bela agreed and waved to her friend. Passing through the door, she looked like someone else. She greeted everyone she knew with the biggest smile in the world and danced to the bar, grabbing a drink and going after her boyfriend. Meanwhile, Lara sighed heavily, trying to focus on the familiar song. She didn't know almost anyone there and the few she did know were definitely not her friends. She calculated her options and decided that staying close to the bar would be a good idea, so that she would be able to find Anabela more easily. She checked that her phone was on, and sat down on the stool facing the bartender, who offered her a drink. She ordered a soft drink, the young woman did not drink alcohol, and waited for something to justify the horrible feeling in her stomach.

"Excuse me, I would like a beer, please?" heard a voice that seemed familiar to say. The person's accent was strong, but the music was louder, making it difficult for Lara to recognize him. "Sorry, but do you mind if I sit here?" He asked, forcing Lara to look away from the phone.

"Tom Hiddleston?"


	7. The Party (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys, 
> 
> Hope everybody is having a good day and a nice turn of the year! We decided to close the year with this chapter bringing the conclusion of The Party, what do you guys think will happen? well, here it is, hope you guys enjoy it! 
> 
> Though I have to inform that in this chapter there will be betrayal and harassment, so be warned!
> 
> We love to receive feedback, so don’t be shy! Let us know what you are thinking of the story so far.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and have fun. A wonderful new year for all of us and soon we will be back with the sequel.

"Tom Hiddleston?!"

"Lara Lewis?!" Exclaimed the surprised man. He had heard many times that New York was smaller than it looked, but he definitely didn't expect it to be that small. "What ... what are you doing here?"

"I ... I'm here with my friend, the one who lives with me," Lara replied, following with her eyes the waiter who brought Tom's drink. The man thanked him for the beer, taking a generous sip before turning his attention to the woman. "But what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," he replied shortly, settling himself in his chair. "Remember the colleague I was waiting for last night? Chris Evans?" He waited for the girl to nod before continuing. "Well, he is the cousin of the apartment's owner and has been staying here during the recordings. He didn't want to be here alone while the party was going on, and I needed company, so I came."

"

Wait, wait ..." Lara interrupted him, a little shocked. She had a feeling that she had not correctly processed what she had just heard. The famous actor Chris Evans was... "Is Chris Evans Ryan Evans's cousin?

"Yeah, exactly!" Tom agreed, sipping more of his beer. This was definitely not the place where he was the most comfortable, so he needed something to help him relax a little. Several colored lights blinked incessantly, though they did not illuminate the room properly, making him annoyed. "That's the boy's name. Do you know him?"

"Ah, yes..." said Lara, trying her best not to show her disgust toward Evans. "He's in my class at college. And he's the best friend of my best friend's boyfriend."

"Wow, so you study at the Pratt Institute?" The man asked, impressed by the woman in front of him. Chris had mentioned that it was a prestigious institution and, therefore, difficult to enter. "This is amazing!"

"I do," Lara replied, a little embarrassed. She took a sip of her soda before continuing to speak in an attempt to overcome her shyness. "It's my last period there, as I told you when we met. And Jonathan is my professor. Well, Ryan's too."

"Ah, I see it," Tom remarked, gesturing for the bartender to bring new drinks for both of them. "And your friend? Does she study at the Pratt Institute too?"

"Anabela?" Lara asked, laughing at the thought. The friend had no interest in the area, even though she tried for Lara to understand things when it came to design and photography. "No, no. She studies linguistics and French at NYU."

"Okay, okay," Tom laughed, even more impressed. "Both are geniuses then. These universities are really prestigious!"

"Ah, not at all," Lara said, feeling her cheeks burn. She hastily retrieved the straw from her glass in an attempt to cool off. Why the hell was she reacting this way?

"Is that why you came from Brazil?" The British actor asked, curious about the story of the young woman beside him. If yesterday he wasn't able to find out much about her, maybe today he would. He approached her, resting one arm on the bar, as eager to hear her words as a child listens to a story before going to sleep.

"Yes," Lara answered, eyes fixed on the drink. She was happy that she didn't need to be alone at that boring party anymore, even though she was still a little stuck talking to Tom. She then remembered Anabela, who always complained about her monosyllabic responses, and decided to speak a little more. "In fact, we both came from Brazil for college. We've been friends since we were little."

Tom looked at her with interest, asking more questions. Gradually, Lara relaxed, and the conversation became more fluid. They mainly discussed their experiences as foreigners. The young woman, listening to the British actor's stories about the need to adapt to the new country, realized that she had forgotten how everything seemed very different from Brazil when she arrived in New York. It had been a long time since she had talked about it with anyone other than Bela. It was funny to hear how, even for Tom, who came from a country she thought was similar to the USA, it was a strange feeling to live there.

"Well, obviously there is no language barrier," said English, who weighed the differences between his move and Lara's. His second beer was long gone, but he didn't feel he needed another. The party was fun with the woman's presence. "Even so, England does not have much in similar besides. People are very different too, you know?" He asked, trying to get the attention of Lewis, who was no longer paying attention, focused on her cell phone. "It's all right?"

"Pardon!" Lara retracted quickly, putting the phone away. She turned her attention back to the man, even though her mind was already elsewhere. "It's been an hour since I arrived with Anabela, but she still hasn't returned or texted me to say that everything was fine."

\- But she didn't go to find her boyfriend?

"Yes, yes ..." Lewis replied absently while searching for Anabela by the crowd. When she realized she couldn't do it, she looked at Tom again. "Well, they just had a bizarre fight recently and I'm just worried. In case of something may happen, you know?"

"Well, then let's go look for her." Suggested the English quickly. Lara didn't seem like the kind of person who worried for nothing and it was clear that she was nervous about her friend's absence. "Where are they?"

"No need, Tom!" Lara said, not wanting to disturb the man's night. "I can go alone without problems."

"But I want to help!" Exclaimed Hiddleston, already on his feet. "It's good that I'm looking for Evans who also abandoned me." Lara laughed and stood up, making sure she had her glass tightly capped. "So let's go?"

Lara nodded, and Tom quickly took her hand, guiding her towards the dancing crowd. The gesture startled the young woman, but she knew it would be better in the search. They looked everywhere, but were unable to find either Anabela or Chris. They went to the other side of the apartment, near the stairs that led to a floor with rooms.

"Do you think Anabela and her boyfriend are upstairs?" Asked Tom, a little embarrassed. They were a couple after all. "We already looked everywhere, it is a high chance that they will be ... enjoying a moment alone."

"I don't know, maybe they are ..." Lara sighed, irritated by the chance of her friend not even warning that it would take too long to return. If she hadn't found Tom, she would have been planted in that bar by now waiting for a sign of life. She scanned the apartment again, finding Ryan sitting on the couch with a girl. "Look, Ryan is over there." She drew the Englishman's attention, nodding. "Maybe he knows where one of the two is.

The two walked to the sofa without realizing that their hands were still clasped. Ryan, who previously looked at the woman beside her as if she were the most beautiful creature in the world, immediately started to ignore her, getting up when Lara and Tom approached her. He examined them both, looking irritated by their proximity, but soon his expression changed. He looked concerned.

"Lara, honey!" He exclaimed, opening a nervous smile. "Have you and Anabela arrived yet? Great!" He held out his hand to Tom, greeting him as if they were old friends. "And you, Tom? I see you're enjoying the party!"

"Yes, Evans, we have arrived an hour ago," replied Lara, quickly letting go of the Englishman's hand when she noticed Evans's eyes. It was all that was missing, having to deal with the annoyance of the classmate. "Can you tell where Anabela is? Or your cousin?"

"Anabela?" Asked Ryan, his face turning a little white. He looked away from the pair, but soon regained his false smile. "I'm sure she must be at the bar with Hunter, you know how she loves caipirinhas!"

"We just came from the bar, Ryan." Snorted Lara, impatient with the boy. The bad feeling that something was going on became strong again. "We even searched all over the apartment and found neither."

"Why did you look at the stairs when Lara asked you about her friend?" Asked Tom, his voice extremely serious. He remembered the horrible stories that always followed college parties, even though he had never witnessed anything. The bad feeling also appeared in him, who was concerned for the young woman.

"Uh, it's just that I thought I saw something!" Ryan explained slyly, laughing nervously. The girl who was beside him simply left, but the young man did not react.

That was enough for Lara to quickly head towards the stairs. She climbed it as fast as he could, thanking her for hating alcoholic drinks. Now would be a bad time to be under their influence. She turned to the first room she found, taking her hand on the doorknob. However, before she could open it, Ryan stepped in front of her.

"I am absolutely sure that Anabela is down there," he said sharply, holding Lara's arm so she wouldn't open the door. "I didn't see her go up and I was watching the stairs."

"Well, then it's okay for me to open the door!" replied Lara, avoiding the man, thanking mentally for all Muay Thai training that gave him strength.

Lara gave a little cry at the scene she found in the room. Tom was definitely right about the possibility that sex was happening upstairs. However, that girl with Hunter was not Anabela. Quite the opposite. When her look met the Australian's, Lara stepped back, slamming the door. She found Tom looking at her confused.

"Well, that's Anabela's boyfriend." Stammered Lara, pulling Tom away from the room. The man did not know what to think. "But that is certainly not Anabela."

The two faced each other and Tom felt his heart sink. As much as the situation was quite different from what he expected, it was still pretty bad. Ryan stared at the two, but before he could explain himself, Lara went out into the hall in search of her friend. She would not have seen it in silence. Desperate, she left to open the other doors, while Evans knocked frantically on the door of the room where Hunter was. Finally, Lara opened the door, finding her friend crying embraced by a man.

"Chris?!" Tom and Lara asked in surprise. The blond man raised his head, staring at the pair in a strange way.

"Lara?! Tom?!"

"Anabela!" Exclaimed Lara, entering the room followed by the Englishman, who closed the door. Her friend had smeared makeup and was curled up in the blonde's arms, who held her as if her life depended on it. "Ana, are you okay?

"Lara ... Hunter ..." sobbed Anabela, cataracts coming out of her eyes endlessly. "Hunter, he ..."

The young woman was unable to complete the sentence, returning to cry more supported on Chris's shoulders. Lara and Tom sat next to them, trying to understand why the hell they were both there. Chris stared at his teammates, and while stroking Anabela's head, he started to explain the situation.

"I was looking for my cell phone as I told you, Tom, when she came in crying. It wasn't on purpose, I think she just wanted a place to calm down." Said in a calm and low voice, trying not to stress the woman who was crying copiously in her lap. "I got scared and I was a little thick. She just collapsed and started to cry. I didn't know what to do and I started trying to understand what had happened ..." he continued, watching the girl gradually calm down. "Her boyfriend, well .... He ..."

"Hunter cheated on me, Lara." Whined Anabela, her voice a little more stable. Her eyes remained closed, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Again."

"Ah, Bela ..." Lara sighed, holding her friend's hand in an attempt to comfort her. "It's gonna be okay..."

"Tom Hiddleston?!"

"Lara Lewis?!" Exclaimed the surprised man. He had heard many times that New York was smaller than it looked, but he definitely didn't expect it to be that small. "What ... what are you doing here?"

"I ... I'm here with my friend, the one who lives with me," Lara replied, following with her eyes the waiter who brought Tom's drink. The man thanked him for the beer, taking a generous sip before turning his attention to the woman. "But what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story," he replied shortly, settling himself in his chair. "Remember the colleague I was waiting for last night? Chris Evans?" He waited for the girl to nod before continuing. "Well, he is the cousin of the apartment's owner and has been staying here during the recordings. He didn't want to be here alone while the party was going on, and I needed company, so I came."

"Wait, wait ..." Lara interrupted him, a little shocked. She had a feeling that she had not correctly processed what she had just heard. The famous actor Chris Evans was... "Is Chris Evans Ryan Evans's cousin?

"Yeah, exactly!" Tom agreed, sipping more of his beer. This was definitely not the place where he was the most comfortable, so he needed something to help him relax a little. Several colored lights blinked incessantly, though they did not illuminate the room properly, making him annoyed. "That's the boy's name. Do you know him?"

"Ah, yes..." said Lara, trying her best not to show her disgust toward Evans. "He's in my class at college. And he's the best friend of my best friend's boyfriend."

"Wow, so you study at the Pratt Institute?" The man asked, impressed by the woman in front of him. Chris had mentioned that it was a prestigious institution and, therefore, difficult to enter. "This is amazing!"

"I do," Lara replied, a little embarrassed. She took a sip of her soda before continuing to speak in an attempt to overcome her shyness. "It's my last period there, as I told you when we met. And Jonathan is my professor. Well, Ryan's too."

"Ah, I see it," Tom remarked, gesturing for the bartender to bring new drinks for both of them. "And your friend? Does she study at the Pratt Institute too?"

"Anabela?" Lara asked, laughing at the thought. The friend had no interest in the area, even though she tried for Lara to understand things when it came to design and photography. "No, no. She studies linguistics and French at NYU."

"Okay, okay," Tom laughed, even more impressed. "Both are geniuses then. These universities are really prestigious!"

"Ah, not at all," Lara said, feeling her cheeks burn. She hastily retrieved the straw from her glass in an attempt to cool off. Why the hell was she reacting this way?

"Is that why you came from Brazil?" The British actor asked, curious about the story of the young woman beside him. If yesterday he wasn't able to find out much about her, maybe today he would. He approached her, resting one arm on the bar, as eager to hear her words as a child listens to a story before going to sleep.

"Yes," Lara answered, eyes fixed on the drink. She was happy that she didn't need to be alone at that boring party anymore, even though she was still a little stuck talking to Tom. She then remembered Anabela, who always complained about her monosyllabic responses, and decided to speak a little more. "In fact, we both came from Brazil for college. We've been friends since we were little."

Tom looked at her with interest, asking more questions. Gradually, Lara relaxed, and the conversation became more fluid. They mainly discussed their experiences as foreigners. The young woman, listening to the British actor's stories about the need to adapt to the new country, realized that she had forgotten how everything seemed very different from Brazil when she arrived in New York. It had been a long time since she had talked about it with anyone other than Bela. It was funny to hear how, even for Tom, who came from a country she thought was similar to the USA, it was a strange feeling to live there.

"Well, obviously, there is no language barrier," said English, who was weighing the differences between his move to the US and Lara's. His second beer was long gone, but he didn't feel the need for another. The party was fun with the woman's presence. "Even so, England is quite distinct besides that. People are very different too, you know?" He asked, trying to get Lewis's attention, who was focused on her cell phone. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry!" Lara retracted quickly, putting the phone away. She turned her attention back to the man, even though her mind was already elsewhere. "It's been an hour since I arrived with Anabela, but she still hasn't returned or texted me to say that everything was fine."

"But didn't she go to find her boyfriend?

"Yes, yes..." Lewis absently replied while searching for Anabela in the crowd. When she realized she couldn't do it, she glanced at Tom again. "Well, they just had a bizarre fight recently, and I'm kinda worried. What if something happened?"

"Well, then let's go look for her." Suggested the English quickly. Lara didn't seem like the kind of person who would worry for nothing, and it was clear that she was nervous about her friend's absence. "Where are they?"

"No need, Tom!" Lara said, not wanting to disturb the man's night. "I can go alone. It's really okay."

"But I want to help!" Hiddleston exclaimed, already on his feet. "I can also look for Evans, who abandoned me." Lara laughed and stood up, making sure she had her glass tightly capped. "So let's go?"

Lara nodded, and Tom quickly took her hand, guiding her towards the dancing crowd. The gesture startled the young woman, but she knew it would help in the search. They looked everywhere but were unable to find either Anabela or Chris. They went to the other side of the apartment, near the stairs that led to a floor with rooms.

"Do you think Anabela and her boyfriend are upstairs?" Tom asked, a little embarrassed. They were a couple, after all. "We've already looked everywhere. There's a high chance that they would be ... enjoying a moment alone."

"I don't know, maybe they are..." Lara sighed, irritated by the chance of her friend not even warning her that it would take longer to return. If she hadn't found Tom, she would have been planted in that bar until now, waiting. She scanned the apartment again, finding Ryan sitting on the couch with a girl. "Look, Ryan is over there." She drew the Englishman's attention, nodding. "Maybe he knows where one of the two is."

The two walked to the sofa without realizing that their hands were still clasped. Ryan, who previously looked at the woman beside him as if she were the most beautiful creature in the world, immediately started to ignore her, getting up when Lara and Tom approached him. He examined them both, looking bothered by their proximity, but soon his expression changed. He looked concerned.

"Lara, honey!" He exclaimed, opening a nervous smile. "Have you and Anabela arrived yet? Great!" He extended out his hand to Tom, greeting him as if they were old friends. "And you, Tom? I see you're enjoying the party!"

"Yes, Evans, we arrived an hour ago," replied Lara, quickly letting go of the actor's hand when she noticed Evans's glance. She really did not want to deal with him right now. "Can you tell us where Anabela is? Or your cousin?"

"Anabela?" Asked Ryan, his face turning a little white. He looked away from the pair but soon retrieved his false smile. "I'm sure she must be at the bar with Hunter. You know how she loves caipirinhas!"

"We just came from the bar, Ryan." Lara snorted, impatient. The bad feeling that something was going on regained its strength. "We have even searched all over the apartment and found neither of them."

"Why did you look at the stairs when Lara asked you about her friend?" Tom inquired, his voice extremely serious. He remembered the horrible stories that always followed college parties, even though he had never witnessed anything. The bad feeling crept onto him, who was concerned for the missing young woman.

"Uh, it's just that I thought I saw something!" Ryan explained slyly, laughing nervously. The girl, who was beside him, left, but the young man did not even flinch, completely ignoring her.

That was enough for Lara to quickly head towards the stairs. She climbed it as fast as she could, thanking herself for hating alcoholic drinks. Now would be a horrible time to be under their influence. She turned to the first room she found, taking her hand to the doorknob. However, before she could open it, Ryan stepped in front of her.

"I am absolutely sure that Anabela is down there," he said sharply, holding Lara's arm so she wouldn't open the door. "I didn't see her go up, and I was watching the stairs."

"Well, then it's okay for me to open the door!" replied Lara, dodging from the man, thankful for all her Muay Thai training that gave her strength.

Lara gasped loudly at the scene she found in the room. Tom was definitely right about the possibility of sex happening upstairs. However, that girl with Hunter was not Anabela. Quite the opposite, actually. When her eyes met the Australian's, Lara stepped back, slamming the door. She found Tom looking at her, confused.

"Well, that's Anabela's boyfriend." Lara stammered, pulling Tom away from the room. The man did not know what to think. "But that is certainly not Anabela."

The pair faced each other, and Tom felt his heart sink. As much as the situation was quite different from what he expected, it was still pretty bad. Ryan stared at the two, but before he could explain himself, Lara went out into the hall searching for her friend. She would not have seen that quietly. Desperate, she opened the other doors while Evans knocked frantically on the door of the room where Hunter was. Finally, Lara opened the right one, finding her friend crying and being embraced by a man.

"Chris?!" Tom and Lara asked in surprise. The blond man raised his head, staring at the pair strangely.

"Lara?! Tom?!"

"Anabela!" Exclaimed Lara, entering the room followed by the British actor, who closed the door behind him. Her friend had smeared makeup and was curled up in the blonde's arms, who held her as if her life depended on it. "Bela, are you okay?

"Lara ... Hunter ..." sobbed Anabela, waterfalls coming out of her eyes endlessly. "Hunter, he ..."

The young woman was unable to complete the sentence, turning to cry more on Chris's shoulders. Lara and Tom sat next to them, trying to understand why the hell they were both there. Chris stared at his teammates, and while stroking Anabela's head, started to explain the situation.

"I was looking for my cell phone as I told you, Tom, when she came in crying. It wasn't on purpose, I think she just wanted a place to calm down." He said in a calm and low voice, trying not to stress the woman who was crying copiously in his lap. "I got scared, and I was a little rude. She just collapsed and started to cry. I didn't know what to do, and I tried to understand what had happened..." he continued, watching the girl gradually calm down. "Her boyfriend, well .... He ..."

"Hunter cheated on me, Lara." Whined Anabela, her voice a little more stable. Her eyes remained closed, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Again."

"Ah, Bela ..." Lara sighed, holding her friend's hand in an attempt to comfort her. "It's gonna be okay..."

"I know it will," said Anabela, wiping away tears that flowed without permission. The young woman gently left Chris's lap, smiling kindly at him. "Because it's over. And I know I always say that,” she continued before Lara could comment. "But I genuinely can't take it anymore. So, I..."

Anabela's speech was interrupted by the door opening abruptly. Hunter, followed by Ryan, had entered the room. Quickly, everyone stood up and Chris placed himself in front of Bela. To see her cry, even without knowing her, had already broken his heart too much. He had remembered all the times he had had to comfort his sisters because of men.

"Excuse me, can I help?" Chris asked wryly. From the little that the young woman had recounted, the actor managed to deduce who her boyfriend would be.

"Get out of the way, Evans," Hunter replied angrily. Ryan pulled him so he wouldn't push his cousin. Chris was very beloved by the family and Ryan needed to prevent his friend from destroying his reputation. "I want to talk to my girlfriend."

"Isn't your girlfriend in the other room, dude?" Evans said, already sick of the situation. He hated people with no morals at all. And Hunter was clearly one of those. "That must be your girlfriend, right?"

"Look here, I don't have time for this shit, pal!" the Australian blurted, feeling his blood boil. "Anabela, can I please talk to you?"

Bela stepped out from behind Chris, passing by Tom and Lara, who was ready to use all of her martial knowledge in the Australian. She smiled at Chris, before turning to Hunter. So, just like that, she slapped his face hard enough to scare people in the room.

"I swear by the universe that I never want to look you in the face again, Hunter." Anabela spat. She knew that a lot of it was the adrenaline talking and that she would spend a lot of time suffering from her broken heart, but after so much shit she went through, she knew she needed to let go. "We end here and now, forever. Goodbye."

Anabela approached Lara, taking her hand and pulling her out of the room. Tom followed both, and Chris did too, after sending a serious look to his cousin, who was helping Hunter. When they closed the door behind them, Anabela looked at the group and sighed deeply.

"I really need a caipirinha." She stated, before going down the stairs alone looking for the bar.

"What does she need?" Tom asked, astonished by everything he had just witnessed. His question caught the attention of Chris and Lara, who had a serious expression. "Ca ... caip ... caipi ..."

"Caipirinha," Lara said, heading towards the stairs too. "It's a Brazilian drink," she explained, clarifying the name for the two actors. "Now, how she will get caipirinha, that I don't know."

Lewis hurried down the stairs, surprised to notice that both Tom and Chris were following her. They either had a great heart and wanted to help, or were very interested in knowing the outcome of the story, which Lara couldn't judge. It was very likely that neither of them was expecting all of this to happen at the party.

The group crossed the amused crowd again, trying to find Anabela. The task this time, however, was not very difficult. With her hair tied and her sleeves rolled up, the young woman was behind the bar slicing strawberries while the bartenders watched her closely. Tom and Chris looked at each other laughing a little while Lara rolled her eyes. Anabela was a little clueless when she was angry.

"Bela, what do you think you're doing?"

"Do you believe that John and Mike don't know how to make caipirinha, Lara?" the brunette questioned, the anger still strongly present in her eyes. The knife in her hand was handled with more force than recommended. "So they let me come here and teach. I assure you, boys, that this drink will be very successful."

"Hmm, Bela," laughed Lara embarrassedly, trying to find the words that would convince her to get out from behind the bar. Tom and Chris, on the other hand, sat on the stools, watching closely the dynamics of the friends. "Don't you think we'd better go?"

"Lara, did you know that I bought a super fancy cachaça for Ryan for his birthday?" Bela asked, completely ignoring Lara's attempts to calm her down. She moved with dexterity, separating the devices needed to prepare the drink. "I don't think it's fair for him to enjoy this high-quality drink, so I'll use it to make caipirinha and then take it home with me," she said, nodding to the bottle on the counter. "British dude and Chris, do you want it? I can make one with lemons too."

"Hmm, strawberry is great!" the two responded at the same time. The situation was horrible, they thought, but maybe the drink was going to be good. "And my name is Tom! Pleasure!"

"Wait, are you that Tom Hiddleston?" Anabela asked, stopping what she was doing and looking intently at Tom. She carefully analyzed his face, gradually recognizing the actor in front of her. "Loki in Thor's movie?"

"Anh, yes..." He said embarrassed. He was not used to the fact that thousands of people knew his face and name, as well as other more personal information. "I am him."

"Ah, it makes a lot of sense now," Bela commented, turning her attention to the preparation of the caipirinha. "Is that why you know Lara?" She questioned again, making Lara blush. Shit, those guys were super important to the movie. What if Anabela's talking risked her job? "Will Loki be in the Joss Whedon movie?" Tom was quiet, not knowing what to say. By then, it was obvious that he was, but technically he couldn't confirm it. "Okay, it makes sense. It will be a pleasure to see your character again, I really liked him."

"Uh, thank you very much, Anabela!"

"Okay, Mike and John, that's basically it." She exclaimed, taking the glasses that the boys had already separated. She put the drink in the three glasses, decorating them with a strawberry. "Voilá! Loki, Captain America, taste it and tell me what you think."

At that moment, Lara wanted to disappear. She knew that her friend was in bad shape, but she was really afraid that her colleagues would not like her little jokes. However, when she saw that the two were laughing, she felt more relieved. Tom and Chris drank the caipirinha little by little, getting used to the strong and different flavor. Anabela, on the other hand, swallowed everything quickly, thanking the bartenders and leaving the bar. She grabbed the bottle of cachaça, placing it under her arm, and faced the actors.

"This is very tasty, Anabela," Chris remarked, drinking it to the last drop. He was really surprised by the girl's talent.

"Yes, delicious." Said Tom, coughing a little. "It's just pretty strong, isn't it?"

"Brazil, my loves," Anabela replied as if she were talking about time. "Lara, I'm starving. Burger at Big Joe’s and then home?"

Lara didn't want to accept it. Her plan was to go straight home. She knew that Anabela was just pretending to be fine, especially since everyone at that party would be already aware of what had happened. However, when she heard the name of the small restaurant that was near their apartment, she wondered if it would be so bad to eat something before they left. Lara looked at her friend, who was still as neutral as possible, and accepted the suggestion.

"Great, I'm starving," replied Bela satisfied, taking a sip from the bottle as if drinking water. It was definitely not right. "Loki and Captain, do you mind taking the subway? Or do you prefer a taxi?"

"What?" Tom said, confused. He had just finished his drink, giving the glass back to the bartenders.

"Don't you want to eat?" Anabela asked, staring at them in surprise.

"Sure!" Chris exclaimed excitedly. With the party, he wouldn't be able to go to sleep anytime soon. Besides, he didn't want to face his cousin. The actor still couldn't believe what he had done. "It would be better if we took a taxi, just in case."

"I need to go to the bathroom first," Lara interjected as she didn't know what time she was going to get home. She would also take the time to get some water to ensure that Bela remained sober. "You can go down, I'll be right there."

The group nodded and headed for the door. Lara glanced around, trying to locate the bathroom. She went through the crowd again, thanking herself mentally for not needing to attend another party any time soon. At least one good thing would come out of this horrible situation. She went into the bathroom, which luckily was empty, allowing the woman not to spend much time there. She washed her hands when she saw the door being opened and, before she could protest, the woman was interrupted.

"Lara, I really need to talk to you," Ryan said, his blond hair all messy. His breath smelled strongly of drink and his voice sounded a little slurred.

"Evans, what the hell are you doing here?" Lara exclaimed, the anger returning with more force than ever. The man tried to approach her, but the young woman swerved quickly. "Evans, get out of here now!"

"Lara, Lara, please." He pleaded, holding on tightly to the sink. His eyes sought the woman's, who gave in and looked back at him. "I'm sorry, I know Hunter was completely wrong. I shouldn't have covered it up. Please forgive me."

The man's speech made Lara startle. Her mind could not process the fact that Ryan Evans was in front of her, admitting that he had done something wrong and apologizing. The blonde did not feel regret or recognized his mistakes. In the four years they had known each other, he had done a lot of nonsense and not once had asked for forgiveness. Taken by surprise, the woman was left without a reaction, torn between accepting or maintaining the doubt about the character of the man in front of her.

"I'm serious, Lewis." Ryan sighed, staring at her intently. Her body shook slightly. "I need you to forgive me because only then we can..."

"Can what, Evans? Lara demanded, confused.

The blonde approached the woman, who, with nowhere to retreat, was forced to lean against the wall. Lara froze. The mood became tense in a matter of seconds. She looked back at Ryan, trying to decipher what he was trying to do. However, unlike before, she found nothing. His eyes were empty, in a way that Lara didn't think possible.

Lewis looked around discreetly, calculating her next moves so she could escape Evans. There was nothing in that bathroom that could be used to defend herself. Ryan came even closer and held her arms tightly. Then, Lara's mind went blank, her ability to react disabled by the fear she felt. The man leaned over, approaching her ear, and opened his mouth slightly. However, before he could say anything, the door banged open.

"What's going on here?" Tom's British accent was present, bringing Lara back to reality. Her mind regained control of her body, and her instincts became uncontrollable. The woman looked forward, using her free leg to hit Ryan, who fell to the floor in pain.

"Get me out of here, please!" She exclaimed to the actor, who was stunned. Tom, however, was unable to move, wondering what would have happened had he not entered the bathroom. "Tom, please get me out of here."

Lara's nervous request caught the attention of the actor, who promptly pulled her away from Ryan. Hurriedly, the two, still holding hands, left the apartment. They entered the elevator, where they faced each other, not knowing what to think or do. The woman took a deep breath, looking at herself in the mirror so she could straighten up. She looked at the man again.

"Thank you so much, Tom," she said quietly as if she didn't want to admit that the situation that had just occurred was real. "I don't know what happened, I think I was paralyzed with fear and..." Before she could finish speaking, the man hugged her tightly.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked her desperately. Their hearts were beating rapidly, both feeling the adrenaline leaving their bodies. Lara felt dizzy, and tears filled her eyes.

"I'm fine, I think," she whispered. She used to hate hugging, but at that moment, she was grateful that Tom was there, his arms around her. The elevator noise warned them that they had reached the ground floor, and the woman remembered everything that had happened that night. "Can we say nothing about it for now?"

"Are you sure?"

"Anabela is feeling like shit, Chris is already angry with his cousin..." Lara explained herself, imagining how the two would feel when they heard about the event. She thought it best to tell them later when everyone had cooled down. "I also need some time to process."

Tom looked at her, hugging her once more. Together, they walked over to Chris and Bela, who were arguing about something silly, the latter still holding the bottle.


	8. Everything ends in Pizza

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Guys,  
> I decided to post this chapter today in celebration to our dear Tom’s birthday!  
> We took a while to post so we could stop and plan the next chapters.  
> Hope you guys like what we are planning for the rest of this story. If you could leave a feedback in the comments we will love to read and reply!

Lara got up on Wednesday feeling a little lost. She looked around her, reaching for the phone so she could check what time it was, even if she figured it was already late. Four days had passed since Ryan's party. Luckily for her, at least, a storm had hit New York, postponing that week's recordings. Jonathan, taking advantage of the occasion, had also reduced the workload, which meant that Lara only needed to focus on college that week.

She got up lazily and faced the window. The rain continued, the drops accumulating on the glass. The contact with the environment without the blanket's protection made the young woman realize how cold she was. It was probably not so cold for the natives of the city, but for Lara, born and raised in Brazil, it was enough for her body to shiver. So, she ran to the bathroom, immediately turning on the shower.

The steam from the hot water was beginning to fill the room when she decided to focus on the large mirror above the sink. Her curly hair was very messy, probably from moving around at night. Since the previous Saturday, her dreams had been very agitated. They didn't wake her up, but they were enough for her to feel more tired waking up than when she had gone to sleep.

Facing her reflection, she moved up her body until she met her own gaze. Flashes of the night passed. The door to the room where Hunter was. Chris Evans drunk with the stolen cachaça. Big Joe’s burger. Anabela crying to the point of howling in the shower, still wearing her clothes. Ryan's strength pinning her against the wall. The British voice calling for her. Tom Hiddleston. Tom. 

She took a deep breath, coming back to reality again because of the man. She didn't know if she would have reacted to Evans eventually, which bothered her deeply, making her train even harder. But she knew that Tom had helped her. It was in that feeling of gratitude that she decided to focus on. Then she remembered that she hadn't exchanged another word with him since Sunday morning, when she replied to his message to check if she was okay.

With that in mind, she thought it might be okay - or at least polite - to send another message. She didn't know what to say, but she knew she couldn't leave the man totally in the dark. He had helped her. Thus, she grabbed her phone and reached for his message box, quickly typing a simple hi. However, she hesitated before clicking on the send button, which glowed as if she were in the darkest place on Earth. What if she was annoying? What if Tom had already forgotten?

"Click on it already", she heard a voice in her head say. It was very similar to Anabela's. She reflected, concluding that it was exactly what her friend would tell her. If she knew what had happened. After seeing the state the friend was in after the breakup, Lara decided to keep the information to herself for a while. No one but her or Tom knew. She needed to get over - or at least understand - the event before sharing it with anyone else.

Even so, she continued to imagine what Anabela would say. Lara knew then that she should click on that damn send button. If Tom didn't answer, great. At least she would have a clear conscience. She did so before changing her mind, placing her cell phone in some corner and getting into the hot tub. She closed her eyes, resting her head on a folded towel that she used for support and relaxed.

A long time had passed when Lara decided it was a good idea to get out of the water, which was already almost cold. She dried herself calmly and left the bathroom, looking for comfortable clothes to wear. She quickly tidied up the room, making her bed next. When she was satisfied, she felt her stomach growl, which made her realize that she hadn't eaten anything since she woke up.

She left the room, finding the living room and kitchen neatly arranged. This meant that her friend had probably not left her room, following the routine she had adopted since Saturday. Lara wondered if she should go to her, offering breakfast, but when she saw a bowl and some cutlery washed in the drying rack, she realized that Anabela had already eaten. She chose to leave her friend alone, preparing a quick omelet and toasting a slice of bread, while she made some coffee.

She sat at the wooden table chosen by Anabela, finally eating what she had prepared. Her cat, Midnight, jumped on her lap, curling up, probably because of the cold. Lara sipped her coffee, which was strong and sweet the way she liked it until she remembered that she hadn't checked her phone since she got in the shower. She finished eating, cleaning up her mess, and going back to her room, where she reached for her phone. She felt a strange sensation when she looked at his screen. Tom had answered an hour ago. 

_“Lara! Glad you texted. I was worried, but I didn't want to sound invasive. I'm good, and you?"_

Lara stopped. She thought it was sweet that Tom hadn't just forgotten what happened, but that he wanted to respect her time. Still, she didn't know how to respond. Her shyness prevented her fingers from typing anything she considered acceptable, causing her to rewrite an answer over and over again.

" _Going_."

She clicked send, already regretting it before doing so. Had it really taken her minutes just to write a dry, boring message like that? She imagined the man receiving this message and was nervous. So she wrote the first thing that came to mind.

_"Thank you for your concern, it's very sweet of you."_

After sending, she didn't have much time to reread the message a thousand times wondering if she had written something decent. Tom had responded almost immediately.

_“Thank my mother for a good education, not me. I did the bare minimum. :) ”_

_"What are you doing today?"_

Lara threw herself on the bed, settling down. In her face, there was a faint smile, which would go unnoticed by the vast majority, including herself. She thought of an interesting answer but decided to be honest.

_“Probably nothing. This rain makes me lazy. I honestly want to do nothing besides playing video games hahaha. And you?"_

_“Probably the same thing as you! Evans invented a game competition to pass the time, but I know it's just an excuse for him to beat me and inflate his ego. ”_

_"Chris*"_

Lara laughed, imagining that the actor really shouldn't have much gaming skills. She started typing another message, but before she did, she had already received another one. That same feeling from the first message came back, this time even stronger.

_"Since you're going to do the same thing, how about doing it here with us?"_

_"I'm sick of just seeing Chris's face these past few days."_

_"I mean, only if you feel comfortable, of course."_

_"We rented an apartment."_

_"ok!"_

It was after 3 pm when Lara decided to get ready to visit Tom and Chris. As she scanned her wardrobe, that feeling that she hadn't yet been able to identify was back. She assumed she was just nervous about meeting two co-workers, so she decided to ignore it. As the rain had not yet stopped, she opted for a black long-sleeved blouse, jeans, and a black leather boot.

She dressed quickly, heading for the bathroom, where she took care of her hair. She was glad that her curls were collaborating, which saved her some work. She checked her phone and googled the internet for the address Tom had sent, looking for the best route there. Simple research showed that the luxury apartment complex where they were staying was not that far, being a 25-minute taxi ride.

She took the essentials - wallet, cell phone, headphones, key - and tossed them in her bag, heading out of her bedroom. She quickly scanned the room, finding no sign that Anabela had been there since breakfast. She considered whether to invite her or not. She doubted that her friend would accept it, even though it would be good for her to leave the house. With that in mind, Lara went to her bedroom door, knocking lightly.

However, she got no response. A little worried, she opened the door slowly, finding the room completely dark. She entered it slowly and silently and looked for Anabela. She saw her curled up on the covers of her bed, sleeping deeply. She pondered for a few seconds, choosing not to wake the girl. Going out was important, but so was resting.

She picked up the clothes that were scattered and left the room. She threw them all away in the laundry basket and opened the fridge to check that, in case her friend was hungry, there was enough for her to prepare a meal. She then took one of the countless blocks that Anabela left around the house, writing a note to let her know where she would be. She pinned it to the refrigerator door, then left the house. 

In less time than she imagined, perhaps because few were the braves leaving the house with the rain, Lara found herself in front of the door to Tom and Chris's apartment. She stared at the gold-plated 2D that identified the place, gathering the courage to knock on the door. However, even before she did, it burst open, revealing the British actor, who had a wide smile on his face.

"Lara!" Tom exclaimed excited. "You came! Come on in." He invited her in, giving space for the young woman to pass through the door. Lara entered, immediately removing her shoes and placing them in a corner near the entrance.

"Hi, Tom!" She replied, her tone a little serious, Tom noticed. He was afraid something had happened but chose to believe that she was shy. "Thank you very much for the invitation. It was kind of boring at home," Lara said, smiling timidly. The actor smiled back but then looked at her confused when he saw her putting on her shoes. "Ah, sorry! It's a weird habit. Anabela won't let anyone in the house wearing shoes. Is it a problem?"

"Of course not, she is probably right to do that," Tom assured her, closing the door behind him. He indicated Lara the path they would take, though it was the only option. "Chris is in the kitchen, come on, and then we can show you the apartment."

The two walked side by side, a little shyly, to the apartment's kitchen. Once there, Lara had a wide view of this, feeling impressed. The apartment was designed to have as few walls as possible, which made it possible for the Brazilian to see a beautiful dining room, a terrace, and a piece of what she thought was a dining room, in addition to the kitchen.

This, in particular, could make anyone drool. All the furniture was predesigned and dark wood, with some golden details. The appliances seemed to be of the latest generation, all black and shiny. On the right wall, there was also a giant cellar, full of wines that Lara guessed were the most expensive that existed. From the opposite wall came an island where the sink was located, and next to it, a few stools.

Chris, who was facing the stove, quickly turned around smiling. He turned off the heat under the pan where he was cooking something, stirring it again before throwing the dish towel over his shoulders. He walked towards Lara, greeting her with a kiss on the cheeks. The latter, in turn, tried to hold back a laugh, which Evans soon realized.

"Okay, is there anything in my face?" The blonde man asked, running his hand quickly over his face in an attempt to clean up whatever was making Lara laugh.

"No, no ..." Lara said, considering whether or not she should explain her giggles. "It's just... Well... I remembered a drawing that Anabela showed me once."

"A drawing?" Chris asked, leaning forward.

"Yeah... " Lara confirmed, laughing again. Tom, who was looking for something in the fridge, stopped to pay attention to what the woman would say next. "It was a pinup drawing of Captain America as a housewife. I never thought I was going to see it in real life."

Tom laughed out loud while Chris shyly shifted his gaze to the floor. The British actor soon returned to the kitchen island, bringing two beers and a soft drink, which he offered to Lara. This, in turn, made her feel that strange sensation again when she realized that he remembered that she did not drink alcoholic drinks. The two exchanged knowing smiles before Tom started making fun of Chris once more.

"Okay, okay..." The blonde man sighed, giving up. Lara and Tom laughed while seeing the image Lara had found saved on her phone. "Captain America as a pinup housewife, hilarious. When will Anabela leave the bathroom so I can fight with her for finding this fateful picture?"

"Anh... What?" Lara questioned, not understanding what Chris was talking about. "Anabela is not in the bathroom, Chris. She didn't come."

"Ah... Tom had said that he invited her too, so I thought that..." The actor commented quietly, feeling a little stupid. It was clear that the girl would not come. As much as he had helped her, he was still Ryan's cousin. "Well, it makes sense. She shouldn't want to see me even if I was painted in gold. But, I promise Lara, I haven't spoken to Ryan since I left his house last Sunday."

"What?" Lara asked, unclear. Tom had told her briefly that a fight had happened, and that was why the two had rented an apartment, but she could not understand what that would have to do with Anabela. "What are you talking about, Chris?"

"Why, Anabela must not want to see me because Ryan is a piece of shit." The actor explained, leaving even Tom confused. The pair leaned closer as if the act would help them understand what Chris meant. "She must think that I am like him, or that maybe he would be here because he is my cousin. I can't blame her, though. What happened was horrible."

Tom looked briefly at Lewis, looking for any indication that the young woman thought his friend knew about the other part of the night. Tom had said absolutely nothing about it, respecting her desires, but with Chris's confusing words, he wouldn't doubt that Lara would begin to suspect it. This, however, had not even occurred to her, who, for some reason, trusted the British actor.

"Chris, I can assure you that Anabela doesn't blame you for absolutely anything. Or that she has a grudge against you." Lara said, trying to be as sweet as possible. She found it adorable how the man in front of her seemed to be concerned, especially considering that everyone barely knew each other. "She just hasn't been feeling very well. She hasn't left her room since Sunday. She didn't have a class at college this week, and her class at school was on a mini recess, so she didn't have neither of those obligations."

"Shit ..." sighed Chris, even though he was a little relieved. He felt better about knowing that the girl did not hate him, even though he did not understand why he was so distressed about it.

"She'll be fine," Lara replied, trying to comfort her co-worker. A little uncomfortable silence ensued, everyone so lost in their own thoughts to say something. The woman, however, decided to take the initiative to change the subject, even if this was unusual for her. "Well, the apartment you chose is absolutely beautiful!"

Tom was encouraged by the subject, then pulling Lara so that she would get to know the rest of their temporary home, while Chris preferred to stay in the kitchen, finishing the appetizers. The first place the actor showed her was on the top floor of the apartment, where the bedrooms and a small room were. He explained how the rooms were divided and showed her the office they had improvised in one of them. He then moved on to the small living room, which impressed Lara with the latest equipment. According to Tom, that would be where the “game competition” would take place.

Then they went downstairs, passing through the kitchen again. Lara and Tom further explored the apartment, passing first through the dining room. There was a giant wooden table with about ten purple linen chairs. Hovering over the furniture, a modern chandelier, composed of some circles of wood. They walked to the living room, where there was a giant green velvet sofa, also giant.

The small tour impressed Lara, who was amazed by the apartment's size, which made hers look like a shoebox. She thought a lot of her best friend, who probably would have freaked out with the decor that screamed her name. Finally, they went to the private terrace. The rain had stopped for the first time in the past few days, allowing them to stay outside for a while. Lara was paying attention to Tom's explanation, who seemed to have recorded every word from the realtor in charge of the place.

"And I know the terrace looks a little simple", he said, analyzing the place after having even shown how the barbecue grill worked, "but it's my favorite part of the house. I just wanted it to be greener, but we don't know how long we're going to stay, so it's probably not worth investing in plants ..."

"Tom, this is one of the most beautiful apartments I have ever seen," Lara stated, smiling sincerely. The two were sitting on a sofa there, watching the landscape. From the terrace, it was possible to see the High Line, the old railway line that had been transformed into an extensive garden. "I can understand why you are so proud of it."

"I think I talked a lot, right?" He said, grinning, embarrassed. He stared at the floor, rubbing his hands. Before he could think, he continued. "I'm just overjoyed to have managed to achieve all this. For a while, I thought this acting career was not going to work out very well." He explained as Lara observed him intently. "All my colleagues from RADA and Pembroke seemed to be succeeding, except me."

"And now you're working on an incredible film, on another continent." The woman completed, unconsciously moving her hand to his shoulder, trying to convey the affection that she felt.

Tom looked up, realizing that he was being observed by Lara. The two looked at each other, smiling slightly. However, as if by magic, the smiles faded, giving way to tension between them. It was not, however, a negative thing. It was more like a force that pulled them, preventing them from thinking about anything besides the person in front of them, who had never seem so interesting.

That sensation that Lara had been feeling all day had returned with much more strength, filling her body completely. It was stronger than when Tom sent the message, than when Tom invited her to the game competition, than when Tom had served her the soda. The two got closer without realizing it, Lara feeling the hand that still rested on the man's shoulder tingling with intensity. Even so, they were unable to look away from each other. However, they did not focus on each other's eyes, but on the li...

"Guys, my chili is burned." A strong voice said. So, just as the moment arose, it left, making Tom and Lara jump away from each other. "I think it's better to give up on cooking Mexican food, and we order pizza. What do you..." Chris stared at them, analyzing the scene in front of him. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"No!" Lara exclaimed, a little louder and with more intensity than she had planned. She knew that her face must be extremely red. She stood up, running her hand over her clothes as if trying to untie them. "Pizza is a great idea," she added, and Tom shook his head in agreement, still dizzy. "I need to go to the bathroom. Where is it again?"

Chris opened his mouth to explain the path, but there was no time. Lara was already inside the house, stating that she would find it alone. He stared at Tom, searching for answers, but the British actor was already looking ahead, lost. Chris knew that his friend used to be shy easily, so he chose to bring it up only later. Still a little confused, Chris pulled out his phone to place the order. Everything, after all, always ends up in pizza.


End file.
